WendyMcElroy.com

I am delighted to announce that my book on my old friend Samuel E. Konkin III (SEK3) is now available. The book was released on December 20th and is offered in both digital and paperback formats. The paperback can be purchased on Amazon, while the digital copy is available on the website https://www.agoristnexus.com/shop/, which also acceptd cryptocurrency through NowPayments. This link will also lead to the amazon URL for the paperback. Please take a moment and check out the remarkable human being who was SEK3. I thank you.

P.S. I would be most grateful for any publicity readers can provide to this book and SEK3.

From Newsweek: 'First Ever' Blizzard Warning Issued by NWS Office as Winter Storm Hits. "The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Lake Charles, Louisiana..." From Accuweather: Historic snowstorm shuts down travel for millions from Texas to Florida

From USA Today: Wildfires prompt evacuations near San Diego amid relentless Santa Ana winds

Biden's Pardons. From Mark Penn: The last straw. "Last minute pardons for Biden’s political accomplices were the plan all along. The pardons for drug dealers and commutations for murderers were just cover for the main act of these pardons and his son — all done after elections have passed." Ed: by former Clinton pollster Mark Penn.] From HotAir: Hillary Pollster: These Corrupt Biden Pardons Are 'The Last Straw'; UPDATE: Fauci Pardon For 11 Years? [Ed: why back so far? To cover all Wuhan activity?] AND About That Fauci Pardon... [Ed: a must read.]

From WAFF48: Service dog saves the day for young Madison girl with diabetes. [Ed: amazing story.]

From Reason: Many Workers Don't Want To Return to the Office. That Could Help Shrink the Government. Remote work is a plus for many people and businesses, but that’s not necessarily true of D.C.

From Real Clear Politics: Village People Perform "YMCA" Live At Trump Rally Ahead Of Inauguration. "1970s disco group "The Village People" appeared Sunday night at Donald Trump's final rally in Washington DC the night before his second presidential inauguration. They wore their traditional costumes and Trump danced on stage with them." [Ed: YouTube video. Hat tip to Brad who comments, I must say, it's a hoot to watch this.]

From ACLU News: Banning TikTok is Unconstitutional. The Supreme Court Must Step In.

Ulbricht? From FOX News: Trump failed to deliver 'Day 1' promise to grant clemency to Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road. [Ed: it still could happen, especially if there is backlash about its absence.] From Crypto Briefing: Elon Musk says Trump will free Ross Ulbricht. [Ed: it better be soon. The crypto community is restless.] UPDATE: Trump Pardons Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht, Slams "Scum" That Worked To Convict Him. "...it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross. " [Ed: thank God.]

From Decrypt: 'Bitcoin Jesus' Roger Ver Released on Bail in Spain. The Bitcoin early adopter and Bitcoin Cash evangelist faces extradition to the U.S. on charges of evading taxes to the tune of $48 million. [Ed: now a Presidential pardon for Roger!]

From Best Friends: Love letter to a dog

Deportations. From Post Millennial: Trump deportations to take place in LA, Denver, Philly, DC, Chicago: report. Cities being targeted for early enforcement operations include Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and the Washington DC area. [Ed: reportedly beginning as early as this week.] From AP News: Trump administration throws out policies limiting migrant arrests at sensitive spots like churches. From Hot Air: Laken Riley Act Passed the Senate with Help from 12 Democrats [Ed: I wonder if Trump will sign it?]

From Jonathan Turley: The End of Shock and Awe: How the Justice Department Made the Case for the J6 Pardons

Trump and the EU. From the BBC: Trump orders US to leave World Health Organization. From the Epoch Times: Trump Returns To A Europe That Has Shifted To The Right. Analysts say a rightward shift reflects disillusionment with mainstream parties, anti-mass immigration sentiment, and a backlash against ‘woke’ policies. [Ed: a number of elections are looming; the results may be transformational.]

From Victory Girls Blog: Fake News Rides Again, Claims Musk’s Heartfelt Gesture Is A Nazi Salute. [Ed: this sort of BS is what caused the Dems to lose. I guess they want to stay losers.] From Spiked: Why Won’t the ‘Nazi’ Slur Die?

From the Bored Panda: Man Goes For A Walk In The Forest, Returns With A Couple Of Beagles He Found Stuck On A Cliff

From Zero Hedge: Trump Will Unveil 'Stargate' AI Initiative With OpenAI, SoftBank, & Oracle, Targeting $500 Billion Investment. According to sources, Stargate will begin with a massive data center in Texas...

From Not the Bee: Check out these hilarious videos of Southerners experiencing this once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm

Resistance to Trump. From the Associated Press: 22 States Sue to Block Birthright Citizenship Order. 'The president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, write the 14th Amendment out of existence' [Ed: I actually agree with the resisting states on this one.]

Crypto. From Zero Hedge: Davos Shocker: Countries Around The World Eyeing Bitcoin Strategic Reserves Thanks To Trump. "It's the dawn of the new day for crypto..." From AP News: Trump’s embrace of meme coin sours mood in crypto industry. [Ed: both Trump and Melania have issued their own coins. Is this not a conflict of interest in regulating the digital/crypto industry? From Mish Talk: A General Level of Disgust Over Trump’s Meme Coins. "Bitcoin fans were hoping for something other than a clown show of meme coins."

Israel-Gaza. From Zero Hedge: Head Of IDF Resigns Over Oct. 7 Failures As Opposition Leaders Call On Netanyahu To Step Down. [Ed: is this Trump related?] AND Hamas Emerges From Tunnels Still Intact, Starts 'Policing' Gaza Again. JPost: it never lost control of most of the area despite fifteen months of war...

From Good Housekeeping: 13 Brave Pets Who Became Heroes

From the Telegraph: What the Caribbean’s spiralling crime rates mean for your holiday. Despite ongoing instability, the bigger picture for visitors is complex. Here’s everything you need to know

From Castanet: Winds picking up in Southern California and at least 2 new fires break out. [Ed: the Santa Ana wind usually lasts about 3 days but it can last quite a bit longer.] From USA Today: Wildfires prompt evacuations near San Diego amid relentless Santa Ana winds. From CNN: As if LA officials don’t have enough on their plates, they have another problem: Arsonists

From Inside History: This Day in History. Jimmy Carter Pardons Draft Dodgers. [Ed: my first real boyfriend was a draft dodger.]

From Politico: Trump says he’ll visit California on Friday amid devastating wildfires. It will likely mark his first trip upon returning to the White House. From CBS News: L.A. Fires Live Updates: Southern California braces for extreme winds and wildfire risk through Tuesday morning. [Ed: Santa Anas, again.]

From Dog Heirs: Parents Surprise Daughter With Shelter Dog She Was Caring For But Thought Got Adopted.

From the Post Millennial: Vivek Ramaswamy to step away from DOGE due to friction with staff: report. [Ed: apparently, Vivek is not considered to be sufficiently 'hands-on'. He is reportedly seeking the gov. slot in Ohio.]

$Trump. From Newser: Trump Launches Meme Coin, Makes a Fortune on Paper. President-elect now selling $Trump, and critics question the ethics. [Ed: a round-up of news stories.] From Politico: ‘Horrible look’: Crypto lobby reels from Trump’s ‘memecoin’. Trump’s memecoin has taken off since debuting late Friday night. Not everyone in crypto is thrilled. [Ed: coin has made Trump into a crypto billionaire.] From Coin Telegraph: Donald Trump’s memecoin drops 38% as wife Melania launches token Coin. [Ed: not from the Onion.]

From Reason: Trump's 'External Revenue Service' Is a Public Relations Effort. It Won't Change How Tariffs Work. Trump promises to "tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens." That's not how it works. [Ed: I don't know what to think of the ERS.]

Biden's Pardons. From CNN: Biden issues pre-emptive pardons for Fauci, General Milley and Jan 6 riot committee. [Ed: pardoning people who are not even under investigation.] From NBC: Biden pardons family members minutes before Trump sworn in. Minutes before his term is set to end, Biden announced that he was pardoning several members of his family, including his brother James Biden, sister-in-law Sara Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, brother-in-law John T. Owens and brother Francis Biden.

From the Birmingham Mail: Giant Husky dog discovered abandoned baby in park 'gently nudging' him awake before alerting owner

Russia-Iran Treaty. From Gilbert Doctorow: Russia-Iran Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation: a signal to Washington, yes; but by whom and about what? [Ed: excellent presentation and analysis of the recent treaty.] From Dances with Bears: The Pistachio Pact--Is the Russian Iranian Strategic Agreement the Nut or the Shell? [Ed: a must read.]

Mainstream Media. From the Post Millennial: Race-baiting columnist Charles Blow 'leaving' his role at New York Times. In 2015, Blow accused a Yale police officer of racially profiling his son but omitted the fact that the officer was black. [Ed: the OpEd Chief says others will be leaving in the coming weeks.] From Jonathan Turley: “This is CNN” (and Modern Media): What CNN’s loss in the Florida Defamation Case Says About American Journalism..

From Responsible Statecraft: Biden worked ‘tirelessly around the clock’ — to prevent a ceasefire.

Biden's Legacy. From the Daily Mail: Smoking-gun proof Biden was never in charge, utterly selfish and America's worst President ever! MAUREEN CALLAHAN's damning final verdict on a legacy of total failure.

Trump's Day One. From Townhall: Trump Ousts TSA Administrator Day One of Presidency {Ed: more, more!] AND Here Are Trump's First Executive Orders. From Hot Air: BREAKING: Trump Signs Clemency Action for 1500+ J6 ‘Hostages'. [Ed: 6 cases under review received commutations.] From Spiked Online: Trump’s inauguration could shatter the old oligarchy. The cultural elites got a free ride under Biden. That ends now. [Ed: by Brendan O'Neill.] From Townhall: Here Are Trump's First Executive Orders

From Reddit: Man building wheelchairs for paralyzed dogs

Big Picture Econmics. From Peter Schiff: All The Data Confirms Stagflation. "...economically, there’s going to be a lot of failures. And it’s not necessarily because of what Trump’s going to do. It’s kind of preordained. It’s baked into the cake here..."

From NPR: John Deere Faces U.S. Lawsuit Over Farmers’ Ability to Repair Tractors. [Ed: I applaud the right to repair movement.]

From NBC News: California animal rescue groups open their doors to pets, some with burns, whose owners could not evacuate with them. Local shelters say they have received hundreds of animals in need of temporary homes as the wildfires force residents to flee to safety. [Ed: bless them.]

Let’s Get Real About DOGE
by MN Gordon, Economic Prism

Extraordinary Measures

With the New Year comes new hope and optimism. The slate’s wiped clean. A new leaf is turned over. Time to start anew.

If only it were so simple. If only, with the turn of the calendar, the mistakes from the past would magically disappear – forever. Wouldn’t it be nice?

But like unpaid bills, the mistakes remain. And they must be reckoned with.

In the sphere of money and politics, central planners in Congress, at the U.S. Treasury, and the Federal Reserve have left massive amounts of mistakes. Several generations of deficit spending and currency debasement have piled up like rotting refuse during a trash workers’ strike.

These mistakes aren’t going away.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Gaza. From Decensored News: Max Blumenthal confronts Blinken over Israel's Genocide. [Ed: a must watch video. Blumenthal is editor-in-chief of The Grayzone] AND ‘YOU ARE A MONSTER’: Protestors confront Blinken at the Atlantic Council. [Ed: video.] From Zero Hedge: Netanyahu Says Trump "Emphasized" To Him That The Gaza Ceasefire Is "Temporary". Provocative words issued 12 hours before truce to take effect... [Ed: Netanyahu's attempt to sabotage the agreement?]

From Madly Odd: Baby Girl and Giant Dog Share a Bond That Feels Like Family.

From Townhall: 'That's 50': With This Senator's Announcement, Hegseth Picks Up Enough Votes for Confirmation. [Ed: I wasn't sure he'd make it. But he did a great job during his hearing.]

From Alt-Market: The 'Monkey Wrench' Sabotage Of America Begs For An Authoritarian Response. ...treated as a sort of instruction manual for leftists and anarchists – A guide for bringing down the system. [Ed: I think this is what it will receive from this Trump Presidency.]

From Survival Mom: 50 Surprising Ways to Cut Household Costs.

Iran-Russia. From Gilbert Doctorow: Iran-Russia Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Finally Signed!. [Ed: a perspective I trust.] From Son of the New American Revolution: Game Changer — Russia and Iran Sign Mutual Security Agreement. [Ed: includes link to text of agreement and analysis.]

From Cheezburger: Hundreds of Dog Lovers Showed up for This Sweet Old Pup's Last Walk on the Beach

TikTok. From the Hill: Kevin O’Leary says he’s offering $20B cash for TikTok. From USA Today: Can TikTok be saved? A look at potential buyers and a possible merger amid pending ban. From : TikTok Restores US Service, Credits Trump As Democrats Freak Out. "Trump is about to get the biggest bump in popularity we have ever seen." [Ed: given that 170M Americans use Titok, yep, this is going to win some applause for Trump.] From Reason: TikTok Is Back Online as Trump Proposes Nationalizing It. While pledging to postpone the ban by executive order, the incoming president said the government should have a 50-percent ownership stake in the app.

From Philly Voice: GoFundMe has become a health care utility – but not everyone using it finds success. Crowdfunding has become such a common way to cover expensive medical bills that some hospital financial aid officers recommend it. Critics say it's perpetuating socioeconomic disparities.

Inauguration. From PJ Media: Federal Appeals Court Hands Trump Huge Gift on Eve of Inauguration. [Ed: Federal court declared DACA to be unconstitutional.] From FOX News: Snoop Dogg wows Trump inauguration Crypto Ball with Bob Marley song. Rapper sang 'everything’s gonna be alright' after having a change of heart about Trump. [Ed: Snoop Dogg used to be a huge critic.]

From the Times Union: Man's dramatic rescue of dog from freezing river in Vermont caught on video.

From Coin Telegraph: Pro-Bitcoin lawmakers pack Congress as partisan gridlock looms. From Bloomberg UK: Trump Plans to Designate Cryptocurrency as a National Priority. Executive order expected to create a crypto advisory council. Trump allies are discussing stopping federal crypto litigation. [Ed: good, bad, good.]

From Watts Up With That?: ExxonMobil Is Done Playing Nice—And Rob Bonta Should Be Worried. [Ed: this could be a pivotal lawsuit.]

From Newsweek: Family-Of-5 Saved From Boat Fire by 'Hero' Rescue Dog They Were Fostering

Trump's Executive Orders. From Red State: President Trump Is Expected to Sign Over 200 Executive Orders Monday, Here's What to Expect. [Ed: Trump himself has put the number at closer to 100 but I keept seeing 200,] From the Independent: Trump to sign more than 200 executive orders on first day in office, report says. [Ed: indications of several specific orders.]

From the Telegraph: One millionaire leaves Britain every 45 minutes under Labour. [Ed: God knows, I'd leave.] Wealth exodus accelerates by 157pc in the year Keir Starmer came to power.

Cease Fire. From the Associated Press: First Three Hostages Freed as Ceasefire Begins. The women who were held by Hamas are being escorted home by Israeli forces. [Ed: 3 women.] From Haaretz: Netanyahu Is Counting on Hamas to Help Him Derail the Second Phase of Cease-fire Talks. [Ed: Netanyahu does not want this ceasefire except as a strategy to gain some advantage in the inevitably restarting conflict.] From Son of the New American Revolution: Netanyahu Ignores Zionist Extremists and Moves Forward With Ceasefire, But . . . . [Ed: plausible analysis by an very savvy commentator.]

Day One of Ceasefire. From Politico: Shaky first day for Gaza cease-fire as Israel drags its feet. Three hostages held in Gaza were reunited with their families in Israel,

From X: Craig Murray: The USA is building a new megastructure HQ in Lebanon over 43 acres as an "Embassy". Lebanon is a country with the area and population of Yorkshire or Connecticut, but a tenth of the economy. So what is it? [Ed: video.]

From the Bored Panda: Dog Patiently Waits Every Morning For Pet Shop To Open So She Can Be The First Customer

From Politico: ‘Lady McBiden’: Alexandra Pelosi Blasts the First Lady. The feud between the president and ex-speaker intensifies in the waning days of his presidency. [Ed: not important in and of itself. Important if it is indicative of a civil war within the Democratic Party.]

Updated 20 Jan 2025: 71 items.
Original post, 7 Nov 2024: 11 items.

Brad here. I confess feeling some disappointment with the Democrats here. Rather than blame UFOs or the Mossad or time-traveling hackers, the Democrats have started blaming each other for the failure of the Kamala campaign. Are they beginning to see the fiasco for what it was? Or is this just how the flurry of finger-pointing looks ("blame-him/her, not me")? Either way, it's the candidate or the campaign being blamed, not mysterious outside forces...so it's not grist for my mill.

Brad here. Shortly after the 2016 presidential election, I began a list of all of the excuses Hillary and her boosters offered for her ignominious defeat. That list seems to have topped out at 199 excuses. But now the blame-anything-else circus has come back to town, now in defense of Kamala Harris and her massively inept campaign. So, time for a new list!

As before, these are only those excuses which don't blame the candidate herself or the conduct of her campaign. So, for example, "Tim Walz" doesn't appear on this list, though I have already seen him being blamed for the debacle.

[ Read the rest ... ]