Open Thread - 5-15-2026 - Cycles in Time
Morning
Interesting week in the rise and fall cycles of human civilizations. Was this the week the a pivot point for a new direction became clear? Time will tell.
There have been a few times I felt the connection with the continuity of similar type events along the stretch of time. -
The first time while taking a brief walk at a park within walking distance from the Event Center and Hotel complex where I had spent a week on the event floor doing sales, attending a conference and the remaining free time scheduled with one-on-one training and sales at the company suite. The plaque read dedicated 1634. Nearly 180 years before Lewis and Clark arrived in Oregon to claim the Pacific Northwest for US. European colonialism in the Pacific Northwest states history is short compared to the eastern coast and south western states. When opportunities for a comfortable life in a community become limited by existing structure migration happens.
The second time was during my first visit to the Forbidden City. We entered by walking through one of 4 opening of the Meridian Gate. The fifth door in the center remained closed. The cobblestones in front of the fifth gate showed little wear. Some of the stones in our path were worn down almost and 1 1/2 inches. Not ruts, but isolated wear spots from thousands of shoe soles over hundreds of years. My path suddenly converged with one taken by many souls in the past and would be repeated in the future.
The third time was at home. It was after midnight. The ewe had still not delivered any lambs, returned to the house for a bucket of warm soapy water, betodine and halter with tie rope. Night was bright, stars of the Big Dipper sparkled above and could feel the presence of continuity of past and future shepherds providing care to the flock. Never assured of a successful outcome, have a responsibility to try to improve the odds.
Slowly the feeling of Freedom of Speech keeps shrinking.
Calling out government officials.
US City Arcadia Mayor charged with acting as illegal Agent of PRC. May 12, 2026 (8.57 min)
Calling out individual journalists.
New Counterterror Strategy Eyes Tucker Carlson Ken Klippenstein May 12, 2026
Two right-wing figures — Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes — have been named by the White House as possible domestic terrorists, according to the Trump administration’s top counterterrorism official.
Sebastian Gorka, himself a former right-wing influencer turned National Security Council principal, has been making his rounds on conservative media, explaining the meaning and purpose behind the President’s new National Counterterrorism Strategy (which I reported on previously).
Between grandiose monologues about his vision of a crusade to save Western civilization from “anti-American” and “anti-Christian” extremism, Gorka let slip that the administration’s war on “domestic terrorism” isn’t just aimed at the left. It targets anyone who isn’t in line with the broader MAGA agenda. While Trump’s national security directive NSPM-7 explicitly singles out the left with its list of so-called terrorism indicators, many of them could describe people on the right as well.
The new Counterterrorism Strategy, Gorka’s brainchild, identifies three groups as priorities for the administration: narco-terrorists, Islamist terrorists, and “Violent Left-Wing Extremists.” Nowhere in the document does it mention right-wing extremists; and while that may have led those on the right to believe they are immune, Gorka’s remarks make clear that they are not.
Calling out news outlets.
Trump Cries ‘Virtual Treason’ as US News Outlets Detail Iran War Intel Assessments Common Dreams May 13, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused news outlets of committing “virtual treason” by reporting on classified American intelligence agency assessments showing that Iran has retained significant missile capabilities, contradicting triumphant White House claims that the Middle East country’s forces have been utterly decimated.
...
The Trump administration has lashed out publicly at news outlets for reporting on assessments that run counter to the Pentagon’s rosy narrative of the illegal war’s trajectory. Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon secretary, has condemned American media outlets as “unpatriotic” and warned reporters to “think twice” before publishing classified information.Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal revealed that the US Justice Department subpoenaed the newspaper’s journalists in March for records related to coverage of the Iran war.
Rise of Great Nations series is a 2006 documentary 12 part series developed in China. It is slow and closed caption only. Unable to find the English version I viewed about 8 years ago. It is interesting to understand how a non-western culture views USA, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and Russia (Soviet Union).
Rise of the Great Nations 10: New Country New Dreams - The United States (45:11 min)
Rise of the Great Nations 11: The Crisis and the New Deal - The United States (45:22 min)
First 4+ min the Col. discusses his thoughts on The Deep State. Believe the early signs of development started during President Grant's term. Per normal he was shifted to a different subject, but he got farther than with other moderators.
TRUMP & XI DISCUSS STRAIT OF HORMUZ - w/ Col. Larry Wilkerson (45:18 min)
I had forgotten China banned Senator Marco Rubio from visiting China. Marco Lu had no problems this week.
Linguistic workaround allows Marco Rubio, sanctioned by Beijing, to travel to China for the first time The Guardian May 12, 2026
As a US senator, Rubio, who is visiting China for the first time, fiercely championed human rights in China, which retaliated by imposing sanctions on him twice – adopting a tactic more often used by the US against adversaries.
But China appears to have found a diplomatic workaround after Trump named Rubio his secretary of state.
Shortly before he took office in January 2025, the Chinese government and official media began using a different Chinese character for “lu” to represent the first syllable in his surname.
...
Asked about the linguistic change last year, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that she “had not noticed it but would look into it”, according to Chinese state media. Mao said that Rubio’s English name was more important.
Comments
Continuity
.
An intriguing assessment of connections over time and how they
effect our perceptions of the string of events. If something appeared
relevant at one point in time and later is associated with different
circumstances, it does not diminish the original understanding nor
detract from the present scope. Perhaps these are aspects of our
learning process. I also have many similar experiences.
Thanks for the OT!
Zionism is a social disease
Good morning Lookout. Thanks for the OT. According
to the orange dotard xi is:
Cue Randy Newman:
He also said that, in the US, Chinese restaurants outnumber the top 5 fast food franchises combined.
Don't know if any cycles are involved in the above or not, and I am an expert, having ridden both bicycles and motorcycles, though, admittedly, I never rode a timecycle as I am generally stuck in the present.
Meanwhile I am returning to my childhood to an extent insofar as I effectively don't buy my own clothes in that I get gift certificates to REI from my wife for xmas and birthdays. Today is their big annual anniversary sale, so I will soon be off to replace what I've worn out over the years. I don't burn through too much clothing in a year, but one or two hundred bux doesn't buy much there either and I do wear their stuff for every day.
So it's already noon in DC and no new wars, W00t, I guess.
.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Time cycles.
Time flies like the wind. Fruit flies like a banana…
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Russia has reportedly
Russia has reportedly developed a frightening nuclear missile in anticipation of nuclear war with the U.S. It can reach anyplace on the planet and, as the headline mentions, destroy an area the size of Texas. Whatever our Pentagon has been spending trillions of dollars on, it doesn’t seem to include advanced weapons like this or any defense system capable of defending against this missile. It’s supposed to be put into combat service by end of the year. I wonder if among its targets will be the elites who’ve built bunkers in places like New Zealand and South Pacific. Wonder if it could get our leader, The One immortalized by gold statues, to tone down the rhetoric and killings. They’re also in final stages of building a nuclear Poseidon which can create radioactive tsunamis along our coastlines.
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2026/05/michael-snyder/the-nuclear-missile-t...
Anya
I think there might be a missile mix and match going on.
Russia just completed a successful test of the Sarmat, s supere heavy ICBM capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads. It has a range of 18,000 kilometers = 11 thousand some odd miles. It cannot reach anywhere on earth. its range is less than 1/2 earth's radius. It is, iirc, supersonic and maybe hypersonic.
The Russians tested the Burevestnik a while back. It is a nuclear powered cruise missile which, in theory, has a range of multiples of the earth's circumference and an unlimited time aloft. It is subsonic and low flying. I do not know its payload, Last I herd it wont be operational until later.
be well and have a goodd one
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 --
Bad source?
You’ve studied it more than I. I quoted the article which may not be a good source then….
“… The Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile has an expected range over 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) and can reportedly carry up to 16 independently targeted nuclear warheads, according to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a US-based nonprofit. Putin claims the range extends to more than 35,000 kilometers (21,750 miles).
“Let me try to put this into language that anyone can understand.
“This missile has enough range to reach any target on the entire planet.
“So there is nowhere that is out of reach….”
Anya
Hmmm, beats me there's a ton of difference between
18,000 and 35,000 Km, let's hope we never have to find out which figure is correct.
be well and have a good one
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 --
For more information
on the Burevestnik, see https://www.hertie-school.org/fileadmin/2_Research/1_About_our_research/... . It has a decent bibliography, for the interested student.
Similarly, for more info on our own home-grown nuclear-powered cruise missile, known variously as the SLAM, Project Pluto, or the Flying Crowbar, see https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Project_Pluto&oldid=1338774449 , and/or https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4217328 .
Fun fact: the fuel elements for the SLAM reactors, as well as those for the various NERVA and related nuclear rocket programs, were made by Coors Technical Ceramics Division up in Golden, CO. Not content with simply making brewery supplies for rather pedestrian beer, they decided to branch out into more profitable pursuits, in the name of “national security”. Our tax dollars at work.
Madness, both of them. Man’s inhumanity to man, writ large…
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
I would expect them to be able to work technological
miracles - after all, they were able to make Coors Light. Who could've imagined such a thing to be possible, it's damn near water at full strength.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Or, as the
Aussies say, Coors Light is like making love in a canoe… (;-)
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Heh, I learned "making love on the beach" - from an actual
aussie - up on the barrier reef.
be well and have a good one
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 --
New eyeglasses
.
My eye doc once informed me after an exam there is
a much less expensive option to get new eyeglasses
online. Request a copy of the results and take it home.
Skip the showroom out front as their products are heavily marked-up.
I have taken that route and am very pleased with the results. I'm very tough
on glasses - losing them, scratching the lens, breaking the frames etc. The last
set ordered from Zenni cost $76 compared to $350 on offer at the eye center. A large
savings. Same quality. Made in China so shipping time is about a week out. Very doable.
The last order came in with a cleaning cloth (one of 3) advertising a new special filter embedded
within the lens that defeats Iris recognization software. I'm not overly concerned about ID recognition
in general, but thought having the option may be important to folks on this site. It somehow detects AI
tracking and guards against it. Unfortunately, when submitting to iris imaging at customs, they require you
to remove your glasses. Not sure if it is yet available in contact lenses?
Zionism is a social disease
Fitting?
What about measurements? I’ve been very careful with/my current eyeglasses (I like the frames), and they’ve lasted about six years now. As I recall, a technician measures something like a focal point, also adjust earpieces to fit. I guess Snoopydawg could’ve answered these questions.
Anya
Yes, the distance between pupils is important
.
for focal points, which is part of the formula required
in filling the order. I had to ask for that info separately
as it was not included in the scrip. The stem lengths are
fairly averaged, I guess. Mine come thru with a rather snug
fit which is good for me. No need to constantly move them.
Glad you have better luck with your secondary eyes.
Zionism is a social disease
The frames are made in China, but the company is
headquartered in Novato, CA. I was going to surmise that it is the only company headquartered in Novato, but the US HQ of Birkenstock is there as well as the Bank of Marin and 4 or 5 companies I doubt almost anybody has ever heard of. They are heavily promoted by SF 49ers tight end George Kittle, at least in the Bay Area.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Kinda neat!
I “tried on” a pair of glasses virtually. Might work well for a second pair of glasses for reading/computer and blue light blocking.
Anya
Hey, soe
When I travel, I always look for historical markers. Standing where Columbus came to Panama, where the Mexicans built pyramids very much like Egyptians did, and so on and so forth.
The Darwin thing down in Argentina was mind blowing.
And here we are.
Wonderful OT, and many thanks.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
WWII
families came from Depression families. Then they boomed, took care of their parents and kids, made bank. They took care of their kids in ways their parents could not, and even took on the responsibility of g'kids. This left a Gen X that looks to their parents to take care of them. And their kids. I see this everyday.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981