John B
@jb-notes.bsky.social
software guy, appreciator of nature, maker of widgets and measurements
To a lot of people, it does seem fairly clear. The unclear part might be if the goal is enough unrest for the SCOTUS to permit full military control?
January 25, 2026 at 2:14 AM
To a lot of people, it does seem fairly clear. The unclear part might be if the goal is enough unrest for the SCOTUS to permit full military control?
Why are the alleged federal officials unwilling to put their name to this claim? What can be alleged without evidence or examination, may be dismissed likewise.
January 18, 2026 at 3:16 AM
Why are the alleged federal officials unwilling to put their name to this claim? What can be alleged without evidence or examination, may be dismissed likewise.
"And yet..." if you have enough cartoon assets, you can borrow real money against them, and the ultra-wealthy can do so until they die. Not a cartoon. smartasset.com/investing/bu...
Buy, Borrow, Die: How the Rich Avoid Taxes
Paying interest is less expensive than paying taxes, and the rich have found ways to borrow against their assets to avoid capital gains taxes.
smartasset.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:25 AM
"And yet..." if you have enough cartoon assets, you can borrow real money against them, and the ultra-wealthy can do so until they die. Not a cartoon. smartasset.com/investing/bu...
If you have a lot of money, you are in a position to make a lot more money. But is there some extreme point beyond which this looks less like a meritocracy, and more like a feudal system?
January 2, 2026 at 8:23 PM
If you have a lot of money, you are in a position to make a lot more money. But is there some extreme point beyond which this looks less like a meritocracy, and more like a feudal system?
Nice if Musk could define exactly what he means by radical left. Is there a moderate left, does that exist in his mind? Is there a moderate right, and a radical right? Does he have sole naming rights on all of them?
January 2, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Nice if Musk could define exactly what he means by radical left. Is there a moderate left, does that exist in his mind? Is there a moderate right, and a radical right? Does he have sole naming rights on all of them?
The $1.8B number is misleading, not a cash value. Relies on investment income from maybe $800M now, which came from over 1 billion tickets sold, and virtually all buyers get $0.
December 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
The $1.8B number is misleading, not a cash value. Relies on investment income from maybe $800M now, which came from over 1 billion tickets sold, and virtually all buyers get $0.
"impermissible and factually inaccurate". I anticipate this will be the historical judgement on the collected works of this administration.
December 15, 2025 at 5:26 AM
"impermissible and factually inaccurate". I anticipate this will be the historical judgement on the collected works of this administration.
By that point, they're in the water trying to survive, and that alone means death? Does this administration listen to itself?
December 9, 2025 at 5:54 AM
By that point, they're in the water trying to survive, and that alone means death? Does this administration listen to itself?
Hegseth: "This is called the fog of war."
Conventional wisdom: "Truth is the first casualty of..."
Conventional wisdom: "Truth is the first casualty of..."
December 3, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Hegseth: "This is called the fog of war."
Conventional wisdom: "Truth is the first casualty of..."
Conventional wisdom: "Truth is the first casualty of..."
It isn't legally a war, either. But if we insist it is, how about the other phrase: "truth is the first casualty of..."?
December 3, 2025 at 4:45 AM
It isn't legally a war, either. But if we insist it is, how about the other phrase: "truth is the first casualty of..."?
There's the uncertainty of a battlefield where more than one group is shooting. Then, there is strategic misinformation. The parties directing both armed conflicts and crimes have motivations, when providing information.
December 3, 2025 at 4:36 AM
There's the uncertainty of a battlefield where more than one group is shooting. Then, there is strategic misinformation. The parties directing both armed conflicts and crimes have motivations, when providing information.
I wonder if Congress can distinguish the "fog of war" from the "fog of Hegseth".
December 3, 2025 at 4:21 AM
I wonder if Congress can distinguish the "fog of war" from the "fog of Hegseth".
Who among us has not read or seen this story?
December 3, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Who among us has not read or seen this story?
Would it be raining on this parade to recall today's full pardon of Mr. Juan Orlando Hernández, "at the center of one of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking conspiracies in the world”, already tried and convicted in the US?
December 3, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Would it be raining on this parade to recall today's full pardon of Mr. Juan Orlando Hernández, "at the center of one of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking conspiracies in the world”, already tried and convicted in the US?
Lovely image- same to you! I look forward to a time when every public figure feels such a day is suitable to share a positive message of goodwill to all.
November 29, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Lovely image- same to you! I look forward to a time when every public figure feels such a day is suitable to share a positive message of goodwill to all.
Certainly gaslighting but also: it was not just generic stuff, but less stuff in total. The actual 2024 list is now more expensive in 2025, as every shopper knows. That is the main point.
November 26, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Certainly gaslighting but also: it was not just generic stuff, but less stuff in total. The actual 2024 list is now more expensive in 2025, as every shopper knows. That is the main point.
Witkoff:
1. Wrote plan of Russian demands & coached top Kremlin aide.
2. His 28 points favor Russian land + security over Ukraine’s.
3. Long ties to Russian money & sidelining pro-Ukraine officials.
1. Wrote plan of Russian demands & coached top Kremlin aide.
2. His 28 points favor Russian land + security over Ukraine’s.
3. Long ties to Russian money & sidelining pro-Ukraine officials.
November 26, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Witkoff:
1. Wrote plan of Russian demands & coached top Kremlin aide.
2. His 28 points favor Russian land + security over Ukraine’s.
3. Long ties to Russian money & sidelining pro-Ukraine officials.
1. Wrote plan of Russian demands & coached top Kremlin aide.
2. His 28 points favor Russian land + security over Ukraine’s.
3. Long ties to Russian money & sidelining pro-Ukraine officials.
That's another good point. All this was a reaction to the initial bogus claim about a so-called "Thanksgiving Dinner" as packaged by Walmart being cheaper in 2025 vs 2024 as if it was an apples-to-apples comparison.
November 26, 2025 at 3:32 PM
That's another good point. All this was a reaction to the initial bogus claim about a so-called "Thanksgiving Dinner" as packaged by Walmart being cheaper in 2025 vs 2024 as if it was an apples-to-apples comparison.
As if. They do not seem to be trying very hard.
November 26, 2025 at 3:26 PM
As if. They do not seem to be trying very hard.
(to elaborate: there were two main HS groups, headed for college, or not. AFAIK very few of the HS smokers were planning to go to college. That was highly correlated with whether their parents did, and their job categories.)
November 22, 2025 at 10:26 PM
(to elaborate: there were two main HS groups, headed for college, or not. AFAIK very few of the HS smokers were planning to go to college. That was highly correlated with whether their parents did, and their job categories.)
Very interesting data! I wonder if "smokes" is more tightly correlated with other health-significant habits in the US, than it is in other countries generally? In my HS there was a group of kids who smoked during lunch, and they were also otherwise demographically distinct.
November 22, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Very interesting data! I wonder if "smokes" is more tightly correlated with other health-significant habits in the US, than it is in other countries generally? In my HS there was a group of kids who smoked during lunch, and they were also otherwise demographically distinct.
If it was legal, it would break from all prior U.S. legal doctrine since 1945, and arguably since the 1793 Neutrality Act and 1973 War Powers Resolution. There is no reasonable claim within current law that it is.
November 2, 2025 at 10:56 PM
If it was legal, it would break from all prior U.S. legal doctrine since 1945, and arguably since the 1793 Neutrality Act and 1973 War Powers Resolution. There is no reasonable claim within current law that it is.
Pretty sure that publicity got a lot of people to check the records, and YouTube, and see for themselves. Quite effective I think!
October 24, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Pretty sure that publicity got a lot of people to check the records, and YouTube, and see for themselves. Quite effective I think!