Saturday Open Thread - 2/22/25: Odds and Ends
Good morning, good people!
I read a meme that said " Wow! It's been a helluva year this week!" Z and Trump having a bitch fight, a possibility the Epstein Client List will be revealed, Going all BFF with Russia, a federal judge ruling that Biden's preemptive pardons are unconstitutional, etc... I like that meme!
On the home front, a kitchen faucet has gone south, although it is less than 2 yrs old. And, yours truly killed a laptop by letting it freeze. (Reminder: Texans do not know shit about functioning in cold weather.) And, the room addition, which should be done, is just 60% completed due to damn weather.
On a positive note, 6 deer all came up twice to graze in the field which I can view through picture glass windows in the addition. I had been concerned they could see me, flee if I stood up, walked around. I can stop worrying.
We have tickets to a Gipsy Kings concert Sunday. With luck, we might get a video, although they may be prohibited. We shall see if we will be able to share the experience with you as we walk through the extremely secured entrance, near airport-level crap.
This a newish song written during COVID when the old guys in he group wanted to write what their hearts told them. Those 2 guys will be performing.
Compared to older stuff:
What is going on in your neck of the woods? Do you have articles of vids you want all of your friends at C99 to see? This is an open thread, the place to take the conversation in any direction you wish, my friends.
Don't worry, they will be appreciated!
Comments
Good morning...
A cold (24F) morning at trade day. As you can imagine not many traders set up, but it was nice to visit friends. Hit up the money machine (ATM) at the bank, and went to the grocery. I'm one of those that still deals in cash. I need to wash the truck, but that will wait till Tuesday when it is 60F. Headed to almost 50F today.
I hope Musk and Trump manage to reveal what's in (or not in) Ft Knox. Talking heads suggest if there's less gold than expected, gold prices should skyrocket (now it is about $3k/oz). Silver is still under priced (~$30/oz) probably because there's like 30lb in each missile, and TPTB are suppressing the price.
Many people are calling for a major recession/depression this year. We'll see.
Dowd suggests cutting all the fed jobs won't help the economy. Ed Dowd, doesn't hold back on where the U.S. economy is going (significantly lower) and how to prepare.
We won't be bored. Thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
If the golds not in Ft Knox
Would it surprise anybody if there was a Potemkin village of fake gold in an attempt to fool Trump and the muskrat.
I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.
How can you tell by looking, she asks?
Good point, sc! Frankly, I have been more interested in the Epstein Client List, or the JFK files, hadn't been focused on gold bars. If we are returning to the gold standard, we do need to account for every oz., what is missing, where the hell it went.
Changes are occurring at blazing speed. Good in a way, bad in that some harmful edicts can get covered by one popular change. We are always getting played.
I hope your weekend will be fun. I am preparing for the concert and the overnight stay in Houston. I already dislike the super trendy auditorium complex. Restrictions on hand bags, no re-entry once inside, possible restrictions on food and beverages, pricey parking. We prefer more free movement venues, but this is one of the top venues in the country, probably the world. Smart Financial Centre, Sugar Land, Texas. I will endure it since the 2 founding members of the group are old, and the next time they come to the area, it will likely be a tribute band. Last chance to see them, had to take it.
Grow some veggies, visit friends, take some gorgeous pictures,and take good care, friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Good afternoon, LO, et al!
Gotta watch that Dowd video. He is not the only one saying federal job cuts will not help budgetary matters, and will only add to unemployment ranks. Job cuts and tariffs work if we have an industrial base growth. We are years, maybe decades, from re-industrialization. The drift to a financial based economy has screwed us to the wall.
Glad you had a nice Trade's Day visit, even if it was cold.
Enjoy your day, hope you can gather with friends and make music.
Take good care, my friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Like that quote - "helluva year this week"
.
.
like riding an unbridled stallion in full tilt boogie mode bareback
the big, beautiful chainsaw massacres from DODGE are running
at full-speed. The MSM can't keep up with the requisite obfuscating.
Now EU wants to go to war with the US because we don't support
their make-believe liberal democracy? Funny shite that.
Ze capitulates on trading 'rare earth' mineral rights for more weapons.
Selling out his country for bucks will not turn out well for the population.
Ze is coked out to the point that nothing he says makes sense now.
Otherwise, it is a clear and windy cold FEB day here. About 9 degrees.
Got the wood stove cranking.
Thanks for the fun tunes, especially The Gypsy Kings.
question everything
Good morning, Cap'n!
I glimpsed at an article yesterday that made a good argument that DOGE related firings, that eliminating thousands of government jobs, is a hoodwink of small government libertarians. It is not about savings in the budget, but it is an applauded scheme of privatization. Privatization means those budget savings will still come from the pockets of we 99% who must consume in a super competitive market.
I wish I could go gold bar hunting with the DOGE gang!
It will get up to 40 deg. today. Not great, but better than 31 Tuesday, 33 Wednesday, 34 Thursday. Baby steps.
Dear One says the videos distract a little bit from the Gipsy Kings music. Probably. On the other hand, I have visited gypsy villages in multiple countries, and their music depicts their history and culture. Please cast
a vote for me and videos!
Enjoy your day, dear friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Yeah the Roma culture is not an easy one to convey
.
.
music, videos and essays are only a small part of it.
Their Diaspora was about preservation of ancient ways.
Seems to have persevered over the past millenniums,
in spite of church and government interventions.
question everything
Will history repeat itself? I imagine that Zelensky hopes that
it doesn't.
Hmmm...
History repeats itself.
Ze might go hide somewhere with lots and lots of body guards, and pay them well, Ze, or they will turn on you, confiscate your stolen wealth, and haul ass to Russia, be welcomed as heroes! Mucho interesting, humphrey!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
99 Chinese spies disinfo effort continues
It doesn't matter much if a fake news story created for political manipulation here and abroad keeps being pushed even after it's been publicly debunked by authoritative sources.
Michael Tracy picked up on the NGO connection between far right Korean-American lobbyists and Yoon's attempt to justify his failed coup attempt Dec. 3.
This is from the KCPAC web site:
https://www.cpackorea.com/president-trump-second-termand
This was a roundabout way of supporting Yoon's debunked defense of Chinese secret agents interfering with the South Korean National Election Commission. I posted earlier about the alleged US-ROK armed forces efforts to catch the alleged 99 spies in earlier posts. The story is completely fabricated. It is promoted to deflect an explanation of why Yoon and the party supporting him are not popular and are likely to remain a minority for some time. It can't be their policies, it must be "state enemies" promoted by Chinese communist plots.
More from the CPAC presentation here in the US (google translate):
These efforts by KCPAC are supporting radical right wingers on the streets of South Korea and also promoting right wing South Korean youtube disinfo. The natural result is a resurgence in unhinged anti-Chinese sentiment aimed at driving a wedge in ROK China relations. This is bound to damage South Korean business interests at home and abroad.
The sad thing is that I don't believe that the effort just hurts South Korean national interests but also US interests. I've been listening to videos from various sources including Burning Archive and Adam Tooze, (the highly regarded historian) to consider their well articulated views on US-China relations. I don't necessarily agree with their every characterization, but their main drift is that a decline in the fortunes of empire and the inevitable rise of China, doesn't necessarily call for war, nor is it necessary for a multi-polar world to be viewed as the millennial end times of the fortunes of the US. This sort of outlook is primarily the result of the unique US view of itself as "exceptional" and "indispensable." Because of cultural hubris, racism, and other factors, Americans seem to be incapable of seeing themselves as anything other than the center of the universe, and if that "unipolar" position is lost the world is lost. This is actually a view that is unrealistic and dangerous.
Another aspect of the promotion of ROK-Chinese hostility is that it is essentially anti-cultural in nature. For example, many South Koreans can be personally opposed to the Chinese way of governance, but still want to travel there, and recognize and respect the historical and cultural ties of the two nation states. Here's a more sophisticated example of the Japanese perspective in light of the prospect of Yoon and his party falling from power soon:
The Japanese ambassador appears to be taking a more diplomatic approach to the evolving political situation in South Korea (and China as well). It isn't all or nothing.
Commercial and economic ties should continue between Japan and South Korea, just as those same ties should continue between each of them and China despite US propaganda and geopolitical goals. South Koreans visit Japan, and China, despite historical grievances and political differences. Following US "decoupling" and other US anti-China policies is simply not in their respective interests. The US needs to stop relying on military and other war like policies to compensate for its loss of competitive industrial and economic status.
Below is a song from a whimsical Jackie Chan movie The Myth from 20 years ago. The thing that struck me immediately about the off beat grade B film despite its flaws and unlikely plot line, is the appearance of both Jackie and a well known and very beautiful South Korean actress, Kim Hee-son, as the female lead. The great Korean drama series Empress Qi years ago also unashamedly presented the ambivalent but respectful differences (and similarities) between the two nations and cultures. The music video here also presents both languages in The Myth OST Endless Love (with English subs). I've been checking out the translation for a couple of days to take my mind off things.
I wonder if this film or something like it could be shown in a theater in South Korea now without catcalls or worse erupting from extremists. Recently, there was a provocateur dressed up as Captain America who attempted to trespass at the Chinese Embassy. Subsequently feted by right wing youtubers parading around with a US flag. Chinese residents and tourists in South Korea no longer feel safe.
Thanks for Odds and Ends OTC!
語必忠信 行必正直
What lovely video!
My. I hadn't thought of Jackie Chan in many years.
I am so cheered (and stunned) to hear the Japanese ambassador sounding like a statesman who's job is to use diplomacy. Even when I listen to experts I respect discuss the ME and Ukie war, they veer towards the notion that the US must use the military against our true enemy, China, with Taiwon, SK, and Japan being the proxies, or the US will crumble and die! So stupid, so hysterical.
The US hegemony is about economic supremacy, not safety and order.
Yoon is using the 99 China spies as our left is forever using Russiagate. Debunking over and over is futile.
Thanks so much for posting your comment, friend!
Enjoy your weekend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Good morning otc, et. y'all. There is/was a "Father of the
Gypsy Kings", a man named Joses Reyes. He did gypsy cante flamence and then teamed up with gypsy flamenco guitarist Manitas de Plata and they became quite popular in some circles. Later he formed a group with his sons which they called los Reyes which can be translated as "the Reyes family or group" or "The Kings". When he died, los Reyes teamed up with some of their cousins to form "The Gypsy Kings".
Jose Reyes
Jose with Manitas de Plata
Jose with los Reyes
be well and have a good one
edited to fix typos
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good evening, el!
I missed your comment until just a while ago.
What fantastic music! It screams passion and heart!
Just knowing the band I see tomorrow is second generation give me hope that the Gipsy Kings will not become a tribute band in the future.
I hope you are recovering nicely, that your energy is peak, as is your curiosity about this crazy world, dear friend!
Enjoy your weekend, and I can only hope it will include some fine wines and good food.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I laid out a comment downthread in my own diary
that bears repeating. It was called "Bernie is now a sheepdog for Zelensky." Here is the text:
Yeah, sure, Trump is a scumbag and all. I might even be able to agree with Sanders on some of the moral issues -- though it serves me well to mention here that protests are violently suppressed in THIS country. It all boils down to this: Hey Bernie! What'cha gonna do? You are what the philosopher Nancy Fraser called a "strong public." You can make policy. Are you going to get the collective West to manufacture 135mm artillery shells on a level with Russian production? How's that going to happen? You voting to send half a million troops to Ukraine soon, like we did in Vietnam? (You will need a lot more -- the front line in Ukraine is a lot bigger than the whole of southern Vietnam.) You have a solution for the 9K720 Iskander missile system yet? You going to compel the manufacture of a superweapon the Russians can't figure out? Do threats to use nuclear weapons seem attractive to you at this point?
What'cha gonna do, Bernie?
"The Democratic Party has been focused too much on pleasing people who matter too little in this society." -- Chris Cuomo
Make an ass of yourself Bernie? Again? And again?
I am about to sit down at the table to have dinner, cass. When I finish, I will watch the shyster's speech. I hope I don't lose dinner the hard way! Lol!
Seems TPTB's threat to prosecute his wife for fraud tamed him like a good little sheep.
Have great weekend, friend.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Keep a stiff upper lip Nancy. LOL
Well, humphrey,
that's the ugliest federal building I ever saw. And it is named after an inside trader crook.
Sell it, break even if we can.
It is raining, will not end until tomorrow morning. It is a good excuse to scope around for some good news, ain't it?
I always love your Xs.
Keep 'em coming, friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
The question is "What does Netenyahoo have up his sleeve"?
Hoo boy!
That will be hard to resist for the genocider in chief!
I will be keeping an eye on the news tomorrow, fer shure.
US Christian Zionists will be praying for some beautiful bombs to drop.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Well, well...
Aljazeera has an article focused on the discrimination of the Canadian Romas, although the discrimination is world-wide.
This article describes exactly what I have seen and heard said about Romas in my hometown in Texas during my early childhood, and I couldn't believe the tour guides in England, Italy, Slovenia,Spain, Romania, to name a few, telling us that the Gipsys will steal your wallets, and do not do business with them because all their products for sale are fakes. Don't turn your backs on the dirty thieves.
Romas were at least mentioned as being genocided at Auschwitz.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/2/22/allowing-racist-tropes-abou...
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
had a discussion last night about Romas / Gypsies
probably more of question for one of our civilization experts
but I seem to recall they migrated to Northern Europe at some
point and could only be corralled by the Catholic Church
seems their origins were in India and spread out from there?
going back a few thousand years, but a nomadic race at any
rate. guess that is why I can identify with them.
question everything
India to Northern Europe.
They were given the Jew treatment to the extent the were hated as racially inferior to white Christians, but at least banker connected Jews were accepted here and there. My tour guides in Poland were the least critical of them, and never failed to include them in the Holocaust.
I am appalled by the racism that persists today. They aren't tinkers, for shit's sake. Get over it, Canadians and Spaniards, and all the rest of you racially superior wannabes.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Interesting discussion from Jeff and Max
.
On the coronavirus origins.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
Interesting video, chica.
To my mind, a cleavage in the spike protein that does not happen in nature, but has been admittedly developed in a bio-weapons lab, is pretty damning evidence that the COVID virus that spread around the world came from a lab. Furnishing blank pages in responsive FOIA documents is a sure fire tell.
In the last 2 weeks, I have taken in several probate cases where people died in the hospital with viral respiratory conditions. They were all vaxxed. One friend managed to survive so far, although she is using an oxygen tank to stay alive.
One day, Fauci will be investigated, and charged with mass murder if the cts got it right.
His preemptive pardon is gone.
I hope you are showing my client a good time and lots of snacks and tp rolls and walkies this weekend.
It is raining here, and will continue to rain until noon tomorrow, just in time for us to take off for the drive through Houston. Houston presents 2 driving choices: downtown to connect with a loop around the city, which means bumper to bumper slow traffic and lights on every other block, or take the loop around it, which is slow, bumper to bumper, with drivers trying to avoid downtown. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Have a great weekend, chica!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Yup
The furin cleavage was the dead giveaway that the virus was manipulated to infect humans and now how surprising is it that another bat coronavirus has been discovered in Wuhan?
Another dead giveaway was how the virus spread to almost every country at once.
Sadly this is one of the worst flu seasons because people’s immune systems have been compromised by the Rona shots.
Just saw that the pope is in critical condition from pneumonia that he can’t kick. But I still question how many elite actually took the jab?
Hospitals are still mandating the jab for transplants. Why? Because they will be on lifetime immunosuppressants, but if your immune system is shot you can’t make antibodies… just silly madness.
Sadly Fauci is still covered under the PREP act and besides he has never faced justice for his role in the AIDS epidemic! That was 40 fcking years ago and most people aren’t aware that most of the people who died from it were killed by the drugs they were given. And what test was used to determine if people were positive? The PCR? Dunno, but that’s what drove the asymptomatic Rona cases that were done at a level high enough to be utter nonsense.
It’s finally warming up here, but there’s still enough snow for Sam to play in. And play she does. Even the sun has decided to show itself this week.
The great salt lake is 5 feet below normal, but this last storm added lots of water. The dams here stayed full all last year so that’s good.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
Maybe his acts will not be
protected by the PREP Act. Maybe...
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
maybe by now, most thinking individuals
know the who's and where's
DoD, Fauci, China
and the actual meaning of 'gain of function'
plain as the nose on my face
will the labs in Ukraine ever expose their role?
the why's are tied into WEF's agenda IMO
thinning the herd, erasing useless eaters, etc.
that may still be considered conspiracy theory?
IDK. Perhaps an 'audit' would be justified in this case.
question everything
Well, it is not disputed
that the WEF desires a depopulation event. It is not in dispute that Bill Gates believes the cheapest, most effective way to depopulate is through the use of vaccines.
So, there's that.
Won't it be great when the globe has 500 million superior people? 8.2 isn't good for (insert:climate change; global health; less stress on food supplies: etc...)them, so 7,700.000.000 must die.
I wonder if I will make the cut. I am a pretty cool bitch, would be entertaining to keep around.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
pretty sure your tenacity will ensure
.
your survival
they can train their AI machines
on your force of will power
or some such.
question everything
@QMS George Galloway
George Galloway has a 26 minute Worker's Party speech on reasons why they are dead set against sending British troops to Ukraine. Both fiery and eloquent. Starmer is pure nuts, imho.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Sadly too many people still believe the Fauci
Shitlibs are outraged that Kennedy was voted in so they are going to get their next booster early. And of course they believe all the bird flu hysteria. All that’s done is to give a few people pink eye and slaughter of millions of birds because they are using the useless PCR test.
I agree with you. The globalists declared war on the little people and they are not done yet.
Here’s what they plan to do next and with Trump’s blessing.
Shades of Terminator
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
Food staples.
Beef and chicken. Soon, eat ze bugs.
Farm land turn into glorious billionaire estates, complete with private airports.
A hilarious me I read was something to the effect that if we should become vegans, why make artificial meats? What's in the artificial meat? Age old question: Where's the beef?
Interesting article, btw.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
After a few false trails
I found Alina Chan Phd, MIT, and followed her discussions on covid etiology on twitter. She was on to this from the beginning. She wrote a book about it with Matt Ridley. I was suspicious about Daszak from the outset as the grant writer. He's a UK national. Chan is from Canada. I have a lot of respect for her, she took a lot of heat for her public statements about lab origins v. species crossover. Many ridiculed her as a "conspiracy theorist."
Sachs has been very good on this topic. Thanks for the video, Snoopy.
I wrote a comment recently about how a Korean religious cult with members in Wuhan brought covid to South Korea early on and spread it just before the borders were closed. The Chinese slowdown was basically caused by covid, or at least the lockdowns imposed because of it in China. It is the US "decoupling" and other tensions between the US and China that have caused the slowdown in economic growth to continue. The same is true in South Korea, although South Korea had a much more carefully balanced public health approach. The economic slowdown is what essentially got Yoon elected in South Korea by a very slim margin.
edit for typo
語必忠信 行必正直
Chinese PLAN operating 150nm from Sydney
All kinds of hypocritical bs coming from the anti-China media machine. "What happened to freedom of navigation?" Australian military assets operate in the Chinese littoral seas regularly. The video is 9 min. I see Taiwan news has a 26 min video on this; don't know if I'll waste my time.
語必忠信 行必正直
within the last two weeks
There have been extensive allied naval operations in SE Asian waters, including exercises with three aircraft carriers the USS Vinson, the Japanese MSDF Kaga, and the French carrier De Gaulle. I was interested to see what the Vinson was during and was surprised to find out how extensive this allied task force really was. An Australian destroyer Hobart and maritime patrol aircraft, participated in another operation in the Philippine Sea.
USS Carl Vinson To Drill with French Carrier, Japanese Destroyer Carrier
They were probably operating in a disputed EEZ.
語必忠信 行必正直