Caption: The blog dropped off the grid due to a virus that was either introduced maliciously or inadvertently by the creators of WordPress. I don’t know which. This blog operates on WordPress software. It’s an old blog (15 years) and a very large blog because of its antiquity. It has been graphics-heavy. Debugging the virus required a scan of every piece of software. It took time. I appreciate your patience.
Housekeeping: Moderation tightens when you include hyperlinks hereafter. I’m not blaming anyone, but historically, I’ve had problems with “infected” hyperlinks. It’s rare, but it happens. To that end, if you include them without the actual link (example: sample dot com) so they don’t link automatically if there is a problem with them, it doesn’t directly become the blog’s problem.
Bullet Points:
** Now we’ve had a Super Bowl commercial featuring breasts and highlighting breast cancer awareness; the male lobby is demanding that the next Super Bowl will include a commercial for testicular cancer with a guy’s hairy ballz—all in the name of equal time for equal problems.
** Across the Internet, politicians and pundits are in a monstrous mood. The same people who spent the last year declaring the imminent death of democracy if Donald Trump were elected are now insisting that the real threat is the “monster” he has unleashed upon the federal bureaucracy.
It is the thing of legend, a Beltway monster you told your children about around campfires late at night: An outsider who comes to town and lays waste to government waste, firing thousands and slashing budgets. Part Frankenstein, part Bigfoot, that creature never had a name but would be beholden to no one and uninterested in the status quo. The monster now has a name, and it is Elon Musk.
** Did then US Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson order the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? The files will soon be released after all these years, and we’ll know.
** When a woman is angry with you, is the fastest way to get her to calm down to tell her to calm down?
** Why did FEMA send $59 million to luxury hotels in NYC to house illegal immigrants while hurricane victims in North Carolina and Florida are being displaced?
** Does gravity travel at the speed of light?
Override
Tasked with the Herculean labor of unscrambling the byzantine Rube Goldberg device that is the 21st-century administrative state for furthering corruption, illegal payments, and partisan influence at home and abroad, DOGE commander Elon Musk and his laptop-and-algorithm-toting lieutenants have been patiently uncovering the pyramid of waste, fraud, and abuse that is the foundation of the United States government in its twenty-first-century incarnation.
In a remarkable piece called “Override: Inside The Revolution Rewiring American Power,” a blogger known as EKO showed how it worked.
Four young coders arrive at the Treasury Department in the wee hours of January 21.
Within hours they have succeeded in tracing long-hidden payment directions.
‘No committees. No approvals. No red tape. Just four coders with unprecedented access and algorithms ready to run.
“The beautiful thing about payment systems,” noted a transition official watching their screens, “is that they don’t lie. You can spin policy all day long, but money leaves a trail.”’
That trail led to staggering discoveries.
Programs marked as independent revealed coordinated funding streams.
Grants labeled as humanitarian aid showed curious detours through complex networks.
Once shrouded in secrecy, Black budgets began to unravel under algorithmic scrutiny.
The difference between Trump’s first term and his second (acknowledged) term can be explained in two words: velocity and preparedness.
In 2017, Trump’s initiatives were hampered, blindsided, litigated, and smothered in red tape.
This time, the Leviathan’s usual expedients are impotent.
“Their traditional defenses—slow-walking decisions, leaking damaging stories, stonewalling requests—proved useless against an opponent moving faster than their systems could react. By the time they drafted their first memo objecting to this breach, three more systems had already been mapped.”
Thank god you’re safe and back on line. I always think the worst when this wonderful site goes silent. There are times when one wakes up and everything has changed, it doesn’t mean we have to like it, but we will have to somehow move on.
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Agreed.
I just scrolled back to yesterday’s and see you were back then. Hey, I was pretty busy. Once again welcome back to lead this band of misfits forward.
Override is explosive. While it is a long read with so much information, it is worth it. And from the same author (eko dot substack dot com), don’t miss the follow up the machine fights back. What a wild ride!
Link: https://eko.substack.com/p/override
https://eko.substack.com/p/the-machine-fights-back?
They really, really wish they had let him win in 2020 now. Not stolen of course, no no 15,000,000 just decided they wanted to see this happen now rather than not at all.
The office talk yesterday was about a football score and a rapper.
Not about the exposure of the theft of the Treasury
Welcome back.
What did you expect? For the most part, Americans care more about things of little consequence and have only a limited amount of enthusiasm for that which really alters their lives.
Decades ago, I wrote an opinion for the Air University magazine noting that officers knew more about sports figures and Playboy centerfold girls than they did about their jobs or enemy weapons systems and how to defeat them. When it hit the streets, the bosses were not upset about the facts but that I pointed them out. One of the Lt Colonels I knew was in charge of training for our wing. The actual work load was light and by midmorning he started playing a shoot Nazis video game and continued till closing time. There was plenty of real work without anyone to do it but he didn’t feel it was his position to help anyone else out. From my perspective, not much has changed except Playboy bunnies are replaced by video games of various genres.
It’s years of developing people to operate under “avoidance” by overwhelming their sensitivities…so video games or a football game, like the little kid covering their ears while screaming at the world because they were refused a lollypop. Those of us “paying attention” (those words…I can hear dad’s voice in my head) don’t operate in that mode, preferring to take the hard stuff head on. We are not soy latte’ types firing up the latest X-box game.
Welcome back, LL.
That EKO Substack article is an excellent read, as is the follow up.
CJS
SuperNotSoDuperBowl Commercials: Heard about that one (didn’t watch, didn’t care)…if one way is breaking “the glass ceiling”, then your proposal would be putting us “boys” in the basement by breaking the linoleum floor. Fair enough…basements (like garages) are where men had workshops and invented a lot of stuff we now take for granted.
***
“When a woman is angry with you, is the fastest way to get her to calm down to tell her to calm down?” Depends (no, not Biden…Who? type “Depends”). I employ the critical sliding scale when responding…but like any male I’m always wrong (aka way the hay off target)…because…if I speak in the woods and MrsPaulM isn’t there to hear me…well, you know the rest. (Note: I’ll be chatting with God about this built-in relational deficit, totally unfair.)
***
Me, and about 200M other real Americans, want PDJT & The A-Team to break everything wide open, and do a full on remodel of The Federal Grift…Stabilization (current Phase), then Restoration, then Preservation so these do-nothing dumba$$ losers can’t do this again to We The People and OUR MONEY. There is ZERO argument for; The IRS, weaponized FBI/CIA/NSA/FDA/NIAH/CDC etc, NEA, EPA…and every made-up grifter outfit. It is a perfect time to defund every one of those shops thieving from us while weakening America. Think about it, DC creates laws for themselves and their K-Street pals that they then require us to comply…or else (same with [illegal takings] property taxes) then steal our earnings for this crap (as Karoline used the same term the other day). I say, more power to DOGE…excise the cancer and bury these bums’ thievery, then start clean (or as clean as possible). Won’t happen overnight but “Warp speed Scotty!”. We The People are loving it.
taking the problem “…those shops thieving from us …” you outlined in your last paragraph one step further:
how do “We, the people” obtain restitution: from individuals/institutions/countries; is there any way we can obtain restitution?
I don’t want to put the thieves in prison; I just want my money back – all of it – with interest! taken back from the thieves themselves and their (soi-disant) innocent families
Was listening to Stigall this morning (reminds me of Limbaugh so I enjoy his new syndicated program, even tho he’s 4-7am Mountain time…but a small sacrifice, horses get fed early)…he had a caller who said that exact thing you did: “We The people want all of the money back, from EVERY SINGLE recipient, including Congress Critters.”
Stigall followed with: “There is no overseer or restraint”…once they confiscate OUR cash.
Funnier – more of a sad commentary on the lack of intellect involved with politicians – is the outcry that PDJT is a “dictator and acting as if he’s king”…except they must have redefined the term as they like to do because dictators or kings do not work to downsize their influence or holdings…a detail fully lost on the ignoramuses in office.
And please, someone pass a BUDGET! No more Continuing Resolutions! That’s just setup for failure that has been allowed to happen. No Budget, no money. See who howls loudest.
Amen.
I’d like to think the Beltway Monster is beyond the one dimensional Frankenstein or Bigfoot. He’s more like the legendary threat found in the Southern Louisiana swamps and bayous of Cajun Country named “the Rougarou”.
Excellent point. There are a few “Jersey Devils” (“evil-eyed ugly mutant”) and “Chupacabra’s” (“goat sucker”) tossed in the mix as well.
“** When a woman is angry with you, is the fastest way to get her to calm down to tell her to calm down?”
Uh, no.
I don’t recommend asking if it’s that time of the month either.
Noted
Your best bet is to don EOD armor and toss a box of chocolates into the occupied room and then rolling, using the proverbial 10′ pole or a drone vehicle, a wagon full of wine or margaritas in after said box
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That time of the month at the Beans household usually entailed heating pads and fried chicken livers. Mrs. Andrew was very nice and usually didn’t rip my head off, usually.
when the dims find out they can’t stop trump, will they burn it all down? mad maxine lays the ground work ala “we will fight in the streets.” personally, i say “bring it on, i’m tired of your talk.” and tired of her face.
They’re already using lawfare and favorite judges to stop the investigations.
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We shall see if Trump’s People can counter-lawfare with favorable judges.
Welcome back, I truly appreciate all the effort you must expend to keep Virtual Mirage up and running. Thanks!!
On telling women to calm down,, I suggest trying ,, please attempt to regain your composure . It sorta throws them off for while.
“the real threat is the “monster” he has unleashed”
The left wants you more worried about Elon Musk going into the treasury department to steal your data then about them going in there to steal your money.
The Dem’s and their Demented Associates are spinning out of control so are trying every tactic to convince those still able to be convinced. They are losing big time yet still believe they are relevant, as they have already lost at least one wheel off their corrupt rusty wagon they forgot to install brakes. Pass the nicely buttered popcorn, this will get even more interesting as the layers are peeled back. This effort will make OZ look like a nice place…with the wicked witch.
PS…Musk just changed his X handle to “Harry Bōlz” in honor and support of one of his Techie’s finding the graft at a bit-level, Big Balls…which is funnier than heck considering The Dem’s/Left have pushed their .01% of society LGBTQRXpealidotious Tranny/Queer-Hour Pedophile mental insanity onto the rest of us for the past decade, and in the last four years were okay with nekked male junk in gal lockerooms or 3rd Grade classes….but THIS…well now, they are all feinting over the handle. I say pile on, make ’em go further off the cliff…it’s way better than an inane Superbowl halftime show and with a better ROI.
My concern is that we have squashed the Dem Party so hard, it will pop back up in the Rep Party, or the Rs will get complacent.
Could be…the Universe abhors a vacuum.
“then about them going in there to steal your money.” And steal your data.
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How many releases of personal data have come from the IRS? Lots and lots. More releases from Treasury. More releases from BATFE. More releases from the VA. More releases from the FDA. More releases from all parts of the Justice Department. Even the DOD has leaked personal data for the ‘good’ of the Donks/Deep State/thems who control the donks and deep states.
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Yet they’re worried about Musk?
> Did then US Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson order the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? The files will soon be released after all these years, and we’ll know.
Somewhere I read, maybe here, that the early CIA contained an unusually large percentage of good fiction writers. I imagine in the first year after the assassination the agency had an internal writing contest to invent the best story which didn’t implicate them, and they’ve been releasing ever-less-redacted versions of it each time they’re pushed to. The following year, with the best answers selected, the same writing assignment would have become an internal training course. Why would you think you’d be given the real files?
I believe gravity travels at the speed of light, otherwise there would be no signal for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) to measure.
“Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory”- Okay, I’ll say it: “But what about the effect on the Time Warp Flux Capacitor”. (Yeah, fully 8th Grade juvenile..but it’s 0 degrees out and I’m delaying the inevitable, so this is where my brain has devolved…well…fully admit, maybe not evolved.)
You forgot the Oscillation Overthruster to allow you to access the 8th dimension…
CJS
And the Infinite Improbability Drive as well. To expand to fill the universe, then re-contract would change the size/mass ration, hence gravity density as well.
Since you brought it up:
April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month. Every year, around 300 men are affected by a type of testicular cancer called germ cell tumours. In the United States, about 10,000 men develop testicular cancer each year.
I’m all in favor of your ideas for an “Awareness” campaign and will be happy to contribute a (non-bragging) photo
I remember a number of years ago, some bloggers were doing “Kilted to kill Cancer” to promote Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Older heads may remember.
Tighty-whities may be the causal factor…a 3 pack of Hanes are cheap but should have a Surgeon General warning label, similar to that California Prop 65 “…known to the state of California to cause cancer or reproductive harm” warning labels they put on everything from Doritos to hammers to cardboard. Odd, just in California tho…must be different air out there.
In the same vein, I suspect QAnon was a science fair project for middle-school age kids of agents, to see how much the public would swallow despite zero corroborating evidence. It’s the same mental pattern as organized religion. “A burning bush told you to give me all your money. Trust me.”
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“Does gravity travel at the speed of light?”
yes, I think so.
“Feynman Lectures on Gravitation” has made for interesting reading – if only I had another lifetime or so to understand the principles
“Does gravity travel at the speed of light?”
First tell me what gravity is.
.
However, if they weren’t at the same speed, then gravity couldn’t bend light in a predictable manner.
I think.
Didn’t Jolie curve an in flight bullet in some movie by twisting the handgun during firing? Hollywood does take a few liberties with gravitational force and physics.
‘Wanted’
It wasn’t.
Putting a little english on it.
It’s magic Ed…altho I suppose if the projectile went far enough it would naturally bend with the Earth’s curvature…so there’s that.
Thx Surly…yes, Wanted.
100% totally off topic:
have your investments maintained parity with inflation over the past ten years? 25 years? 50 years?
My investments have been in the Kingdom.
I just checked my Prospectus. Amazing ROI!
Yes. They have. Gold has done well.
Per “market experts” investing is a long game…but thinking that’s so they can periodically manipulate the market enough so the Wall Street criminals can steal all your gains back on the short. Student Loans were fine until W/S Crooks got involved with the Fed, using the data like they did with home loans…now look.
Cynical? Yup. But Ed is correct — that one…if we so choose…is the best investment.
While it’s good to lay up your treasures in heaven, having enough scratch to put a roof overhead and food on the table is also helpful. A two-pronged approach is called for.
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Ps. The proverbial “no one’s gonna pay your mortgage for you”…hafta do your part and let God do his.
After the gubmint is cleaned up, the financial markets need to be next. Three personal peeves to start with: 1. End short selling. Why should you be able to sell something you don’t own, especially when it makes damaging a company in your interest. 2. The parent company is responsible for paying off its subsidiarie’s loans. Buying a company, taking a loan out in its name, using the money for the parent company, subsidiary can’t pay back the loan and goes bankrupt (see Toys’R’Us). Parent company pockets the loan, the subsisiary’s employees have to learn to code. (Adjunct, buying a healthy company and selling off the parts. Employee’s need a voice, not just the shareholders.) 3. Reinstate usury laws and clean slate bankruptcy. It would end easy credit and force people to actually work to get what they want, instead of working to pay the interest. Self control and discipline are good things. This also makes citizens less likely to excuse government debt.
More rant, if we are unable to end property taxes, then it can only be assessed on the original sale price, no matter how many generations it passes through. It is not reassessed until it is sold again. Eminent Domain, can only be used as an emergency solution. The price should be indicative of an emergency, says ten time (or more) the fair market value. Would definitively change a company’s market analysis on property acquisitions.
I’m done.
My apologies for veering well off road, but I’ve been without a VM fix for days..
Good veer-age. Spot on.
Your Prop Tax theft proposal is similar to “resort rule” taxation, which is very fair and effective so people aren’t taxed out of their 50 year residence. Ocean City NJ did this as people “discovered” the hamlet south of Atlantic City (had been our family beach spot for decades)…buy a property, tear it down, then build a monstrosity, jacking up property taxes for the neighbor residents, causing them to be taxed out of their homes they’d lived in for decades. City managers, smartly, got so much heat they enacted what you propose; no increase until the property is sold and no affect by way of “comps” to legacy neighbor properties (that bogus concept used by Assessor’s t jack up tax collection by using some comparable property somewhere else in town or the county). I’d be okay with a resort “until sold” type proposal, that is if this clear and present theft can’t be repealed…because history shows “no tax is ever repealed, only increased”….like the IRS and Fed Income tax, another that needs to be fully eliminated since it’s unconstitutional. That’ll give that moron Dana Bash something to get wrong…again.