Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Sunday, January 4, 2026
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Friday, January 2, 2026
Is Iran going to overthrow their govt?
On Fri, Jan 2, 2026 at 4:50 PM Larry wrote:
https://youtu.be/42SGEttvT6A?si=VrBQ1yLcP3hF7KWmI hope so... but the govt will probably pull out the guns and tanks
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Coffey <john2001plus@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jan 2, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Subject: Re: Is Iran going to overthrow their govt?
To:
From: John Coffey <john2001plus@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jan 2, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Subject: Re: Is Iran going to overthrow their govt?
To:
The Soviet Union fell when the military refused to get involved in the conflict.
My favorite story about the fall of Communism...
When protestors were attacking the Berlin Wall, the Mayor of East Berlin was outraged and claimed that the protestors would be arrested. A couple of nights later he was at the wall with a sledgehammer in front of cameras knocking down the wall. In other words, he saw which way the political winds were blowing and acted accordingly. This guy deserves an award for best politician.
Conservatives sound alarm over Zohran Mamdani's 'collectivism' comment
"We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism," Mamdani declared in his inaugural address.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/critics-say-mamdanis-vow-swap-rugged-individualism-warmth-collectivism-has-sinister-undertone
'The "warmth" of collectivism that always requires coercion and force,' Florida Gov Ron DeSantis noted.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/critics-say-mamdanis-vow-swap-rugged-individualism-warmth-collectivism-has-sinister-undertone
'The "warmth" of collectivism that always requires coercion and force,' Florida Gov Ron DeSantis noted.
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Monday, December 29, 2025
Saturday, December 27, 2025
ONCE YOU START WORKING YOU CAN’T STOP?!?!
This is kind of amusing. It is like he didn't know what the world was like until he started working.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCuqAstlH4o
Does The CIA Make People Disappear? CIA Spy Reveals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXtDH2IXKY8
Extreme threats might require extreme measures. If the threat is low then the measures don't need to be so extreme.
When he says that the CIA can spy on you through your smart TV, that doesn't mean that they are spying on every American through their TVs.
I have no way of knowing if all of his claims are true. He could be seeking attention for personal gain.
We do know that the government was monitoring all international calls and emails.
According to Google...
Government internet activity monitoring
The government engages in widespread internet monitoring, meaning it is highly likely that your internet activity data is part of mass surveillance efforts and can be retrieved as needed. Targeted, individual surveillance typically requires legal authorization but is also possible.
How Government Monitoring Works
Government agencies like the NSA, FBI, and DHS collect information through various methods:
- Direct Access: Agencies obtain communications and data directly from major tech companies (Google, Facebook, Apple) and internet service providers (ISPs) like AT&T and Verizon, often via secret court orders or data-sharing agreements.
- Public Information: Federal agencies actively monitor publicly available online information and social media postings for investigations, threat detection, and situational awareness.
- Automated Systems & AI: Powerful AI-based tools analyze vast amounts of collected data and metadata to identify patterns, relationships, and potential threats.
- Malware: In some cases, agencies may use malware or spyware installed on a user's device to monitor activity.
What Data Is Collected
Agencies collect various types of data, depending on the surveillance program and legal basis:
- Metadata: This includes your IP address, the websites you visit, phone numbers called, duration of communications, and location data. This can reveal significant information about an individual's habits and associations.
- Content: Under certain legal authorities (like the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act), the content of communications, such as emails, instant messages, and phone calls, can be intercepted and analyzed.
- Social Media Data: Public posts, photos, likes, comments, and connections are collected and analyzed, sometimes without suspicion of wrongdoing.
Legal Framework
In the U.S., surveillance is conducted under laws such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the USA PATRIOT Act, and Executive Orders. These laws balance national security needs with individual privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
- A federal court ruled in 2020 that the NSA's bulk data collection program was unlawful.
- Despite restrictions, transparency reports have shown that the FBI has used FISA to search the communications of millions of U.S. citizens without a traditional warrant.
Protecting Your Privacy
While no method is foolproof against advanced government capabilities, you can take steps to enhance your online privacy:
- Use a VPN: A reliable Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic, masking your browsing activities and IP address from third parties, including your ISP.
- Use Encrypted Communication: Use apps and services that offer strong end-to-end encryption for messaging and email.
- Minimize Oversharing: Be cautious about the amount of personal information you share on social media.
- Use Privacy-Focused Browsers/Search Engines: Consider using browsers and search engines that do not track your activity or history.
Friday, December 26, 2025
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Sunday, December 21, 2025
Holy crap it was actually STOLEN
No doubt this is partisan. I have said that there were many irregularities in the 2020 Presidential Election, but I don't have enough evidence to say that it affected the outcome.
My gut feeling is that the world went to heck in 2020 and this hurt the support for Trump.
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Islam is Blameless - All Jews Are Collectively Guilty
This is not a pro-Islam video...
Gad Saad said Islam "cannot coexist peacefully" in Western countries and predicted that, as a result of Muslim immigration, "Europe will descend into massive violence".
Saturday, December 13, 2025
Friday, December 12, 2025
Thursday, December 11, 2025
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Monday, December 8, 2025
Sunday, December 7, 2025
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Trump appeals against conviction in hush-money case
US President Donald Trump has filed an appeal to overturn his May 2024 criminal conviction in the hush-money payment case, arguing he is shielded by presidential immunity.
Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records by a unanimous jury in New York.
In December, citing Trump's imminent return to the White House, a New York judge sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge, meaning he would not serve time or pay a fine.
"This case should never have seen the inside of a courtroom, let alone resulted in a conviction," Trump's lawyers said in the latest filing.
Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records by a unanimous jury in New York.
In December, citing Trump's imminent return to the White House, a New York judge sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge, meaning he would not serve time or pay a fine.
"This case should never have seen the inside of a courtroom, let alone resulted in a conviction," Trump's lawyers said in the latest filing.
They described the case as "the most politically charged prosecution in our nation's history".
The Manhattan District Attorneys' office, which prosecuted Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prosecutors alleged that in the days before the 2016 election, Trump instructed his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to pay $130,000 in hush money to the adult film star Stormy Daniels so she would stay silent about allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump.
The hush-money payment was not illegal, but prosecutors said that when Trump reimbursed Cohen the payments were fraudulently recorded as legal expenses in order to disguise their true nature.
The spring 2024 trial played out in tandem with Trump's re-election campaign.
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that disguising the payments amounted to a form of election interference as they kept Daniels' allegations from voters. Trump denied the charges and any wrongdoing.
The Manhattan District Attorneys' office, which prosecuted Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prosecutors alleged that in the days before the 2016 election, Trump instructed his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to pay $130,000 in hush money to the adult film star Stormy Daniels so she would stay silent about allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump.
The hush-money payment was not illegal, but prosecutors said that when Trump reimbursed Cohen the payments were fraudulently recorded as legal expenses in order to disguise their true nature.
The spring 2024 trial played out in tandem with Trump's re-election campaign.
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that disguising the payments amounted to a form of election interference as they kept Daniels' allegations from voters. Trump denied the charges and any wrongdoing.
I would have expected the appeal to have been filed a long time ago.
At the sentencing Trump argued that other people did the accounting and he had little to do with it.
Friday, December 5, 2025
Fake Victor Davis Hanson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxhLDNkaa-g
This is AI generated. I wouldn't have known this except for the disclaimer at the beginning, and Victor Davis Hanson himself calling out AI fakes on YouTube. There are other fakes that don't have a disclaimer.
I hate this. It is hard to know what is real and what isn't.
He has an official YouTube channel:
Maybe it should be illegal to impersonate someone using AI unless it is clearly marked as satire or parody.
Impersonating someone using AI is different from a Saturday Night Live parody. The creators imply that this is real, which is fraud, and they are effectively stealing views from the real content creators. It has the potential to slander the person being imitated.
If I were to make a fake Linus Tech Tips show, I'm sure that I would get sued.
This is the kind of thing that should be nipped in the bud before it takes over the Internet.
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Why Democracies Collapse into Idiocracies — Plato Warned Us
The video is likely correct that an uninformed populace can cause democracies to fail. I've often argued that we need stronger civic education and a better understanding of the American founding.
History offers many examples of democracies deteriorating into tyranny; in fact, that pattern seems to be a common long-term outcome. In that sense, the video is justified in sounding an alarm.
However, it does come across as somewhat arrogant.
I've always liked the idea that democracy is a substitute for war. No matter how uninformed some people may be, a democratic system gives a voice to those who are downtrodden or who have legitimate grievances.
At the same time, I see significant danger from the far left. My conversations with activists in that sphere lead me to believe that they often prioritize power above all else. They may think that such power will benefit "the people," but historically, concentrated power tends to accumulate in the hands of an authoritarian instead. "Power to the people" is usually a lie.
History offers many examples of democracies deteriorating into tyranny; in fact, that pattern seems to be a common long-term outcome. In that sense, the video is justified in sounding an alarm.
However, it does come across as somewhat arrogant.
I've always liked the idea that democracy is a substitute for war. No matter how uninformed some people may be, a democratic system gives a voice to those who are downtrodden or who have legitimate grievances.
At the same time, I see significant danger from the far left. My conversations with activists in that sphere lead me to believe that they often prioritize power above all else. They may think that such power will benefit "the people," but historically, concentrated power tends to accumulate in the hands of an authoritarian instead. "Power to the people" is usually a lie.
The 1970s Cooling Scare
This has not changed. The Earth is halfway between its maximum tilt and its minimum tilt, which we will reach in roughly 11,000 years. A period of mass glaciation is inevitable, but we are not likely to see a change in our lifetime. Nevertheless, we should be in the cool-down period. Our warming of the Earth is temporary since we have limited fossil fuel reserves.
We could avoid the next period of mass glaciation by either increasing the CO2 level, by getting it from limestone, or we could find ways to destroy the advancing glaciers.
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