Food for Thought #884

 

Surge of mystery drone overflights target Europe's military nerve centers

 The French town of Mulhouse, nestled between the country's borders with Switzerland and Germany, was the scene of an unexplained incident on Nov. 11. Around midnight, a local police officer reported an unidentified drone buzzing over the police station's courtyard before drifting toward a nearby rail depot.Moments later, the aircraft positioned itself directly above a military convoy transporting Leclerc main battle tanks and filmed the armored column at close range before vanishing into the night.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the unauthorized overflight of a "restricted defense area" but have so far been unable to recover the drone or identify its operator. The local prosecutor's office said that "at this stage, there is no evidence to suggest whether this was a deliberate flight over these areas or simply an accidental overflight by the aircraft during another journey." ...<<<Read More>>>...

Face Masks Harmed Care Home Residents in Ways No Health and Safety Apparatchik Can Ever Understand

 As a self-employed social care consultant and former care home inspector I visit over 100 care homes each year to conduct mock Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections. During the COVID-19 epoch, when face masks went on in care homes, I witnessed a dramatically negative shift in atmosphere, spirit and human connection. Something profound was lost and, as I told the makers of the documentary Masking Humanity, despite what the guidance may have suggested, it wasn’t safety we gained in return.

In March 2020 there was fear and uncertainty everywhere in social care. The arrival of COVID-19 in care homes was coincident with excess death rates. I recall one 56-bed home in Northwest England that saw 50% of its residents die within in one month. A few weeks later the senior team looked like they were experiencing PTSD symptoms. At this time the use of masks was not mandated, the prevailing view amongst politicians and their advisors being they were ineffective. Nevertheless, when panic strikes any straw will be grasped and it seemed to many masks ‘just might’ be effective and were ‘worth a try’. As a result, and understandable within a context of widespread anxiety, care homes strove to procure masks and other PPE as best they could.

From June 2020, probably partly to create an appearance of action, the guidance issued by infection control teams made a U-turn. Masks became ‘mandated’ and care home staff wore them diligently. The summer months went by with few or no COVID-19 cases, and care staff, perhaps wanting to connect their efforts with the good results, began to believe it was the masks and assorted PPE that were keeping COVID-19 away. We now know that, unsurprisingly, there were very few COVID-19 cases nationally at that time and this apparent success was a mere coincidence.

With the perception that masks were working having taken root, when set against their apparent life-saving qualities, concerns and complaints about the downsides of masks seemed to be of low importance, often being ascribed to stupidity and selfishness on behalf of the sceptics raising them. Then, in the winter, during the second wave of COVID-19, it became clear the supposition that masks were keeping people safe was on very shaky ground indeed....<<<Read More>>>...

Quote for the Day

 

Hard carbon electrodes allow sodium ion batteries to CHARGE FASTER than lithium ion

 New research from Tokyo University of Science provides quantitative proof that sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) using hard carbon anodes can charge at rates exceeding those of commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).

The study employed an innovative "diluted electrode" method to bypass traditional testing limitations, finally revealing the true, fast-charging potential of hard carbon.

Scientists identified that while the initial ion intake is rapid for both lithium and sodium, the overall charging speed is limited by a "pore-filling" process inside the electrode material, a process where sodium holds a kinetic advantage.

These findings position SIBs not just as a cheaper, safer, and more ethical alternative to LIBs, but as a technology with distinct performance benefits, particularly for applications requiring rapid power delivery....<<<Read More>>>...

Glenn Hughes - "Chosen"

Protecting children online is a pretext for total digital surveillance

Protecting kids is a weak pretext for total digital surveillance. What’s worse, the EU’s monitoring exempted its own politicians from scrutiny. Their privacy matters, but not yours.

Last month, we lamented California’s Frontier AI Act of 2025. The Act favours compliance over risk management, while shielding bureaucrats and lawmakers from responsibility. Mostly, it imposes top-down regulatory norms, instead of letting civil society and industry experts experiment and develop ethical standards from the bottom up.

Perhaps we could dismiss the Act as just another example of California’s interventionist penchant. But some American politicians and regulators are already calling for the Act to be a “template for harmonising federal and state oversight.” The other source for that template would be the European Union (“EU”), so it’s worth keeping an eye on the regulations spewed out of Brussels.

The EU is already way ahead of California in imposing troubling, top-down regulation. Indeed, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act of 2024 follows the EU’s overall precautionary principle. As the EU Parliament’s internal think tank explains, “the precautionary principle enables decision-makers to adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain and the stakes are high.”

The precautionary principle gives immense power to the EU when it comes to regulating in the face of uncertainty – rather than allowing for experimentation with the guardrails of fines and tort law (as in the US). It stifles ethical learning and innovation. Because of the precautionary principle and associated regulation, the EU economy suffers from greater market concentration, higher regulatory compliance costs and diminished innovation – compared to an environment that allows for experimentation and sensible risk management. It is small wonder that only four of the world’s top 50 tech companies are European....<<<Read More>>>...

Food for Thought #883

 

What happened to climate change?

Ten years ago, as the world's governments met in Paris and agreed to eventually force policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions on their respective populations, combating climate change was seen as a major political issue.

Then, when Trump and other populist right-wingers began finding political success, climate arguably became the primary issue that helped unify the establishment centrists, moderate left-liberals, and far-left progressives who made up the broad anti-Trump, anti-populist coalition.

Fanatical climate alarmism became a way to demonstrate one's anti-Trump credibility and a way for Trump's opponents in media, academia, and politics to portray the president as not just out of touch but as a significant threat to the survival of the human species.

The moral panic accelerated considerably during Trump's first term. A 2018 UN study reported that, unless there was a serious reduction in global emissions by 2030, the world would surpass the UN's 2015 goal of limiting warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The media and politicians then stretched the findings of the study as much as they could get away with in order to convince everyday people that humanity would literally go extinct in a generation or two and nearly everyone below the age of sixty would die grisly, climate-related deaths unless we allowed the government the power to control nearly every aspect of our lives....<<<Read More>>>...

Mystery of the Urantia Book: best book ever written has no human author

 The Urantia Book, a tome of spiritual, philosophical, and religious thought, presents itself as a profound narrative that transcends conventional boundaries of belief and knowledge.

Originating in the early 20th century, this work claims to be the product of celestial beings, offering an expanded view of the cosmos, the nature of divinity, and the role of humanity within the grand scheme of existence.

The actual authorship remains a matter of debate, though it has been noted that it appears to have plagiarized multiple sources, without attribution. It received various degrees of interest ranging from praise to criticism for its religious and science-related content, its unusual length, and the unusual names and origins of the authors named within the book.

At the heart of The Urantia Book is the quest for unity among the diverse fields of human inquiry. It attempts to harmonize religion, science, and philosophy into a coherent worldview, suggesting that these disciplines are not disparate threads but part of a single tapestry of truth....<<<Read More>>>...

Quote for the Day

 

British Parliament rejects call to roll back Online Safety Act

 The British Parliament debated repealing the Online Safety Act (OSA) after a 160,000-signature petition but rejected calls to roll it back, instead advocating for even stricter controls on VPNs, age verification and AI chatbots.

Critics argue the OSA, designed to protect children from harmful content, has become a broad censorship tool, suppressing lawful political speech and forcing the closure of small online forums due to heavy compliance burdens.

In response to the OSA, VPN usage in the U.K. surged by 700%, leading some MPs to propose regulating the privacy tools themselves as a way to enforce the Act's restrictions.

The parliamentary debate revealed significant concern that the law is eroding privacy and free speech, with critics drawing parallels to historical censorship and warning it sets a dangerous global precedent for digital control under the guise of safety.

Despite acknowledging problems, the government is moving to expand the OSA's scope, targeting encrypted messaging and AI, while opposition from the public and international figures like U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance highlights a growing divide over digital freedoms.

The British Parliament recently debated the repeal of its controversial Online Safety Act (OSA), responding to a public petition that garnered over 160,000 signatures. Yet rather than addressing concerns over government overreach, Members of Parliament (MPs) doubled down on calls for stricter internet controls like expanding age verification, cracking down on virtual private network (VPN) usage and demanding artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots be policed like digital trespassers.

The debate was held in a sparsely attended Westminster Hall on Monday, Dec. 15. It revealed a widening chasm between public demands for digital freedom and political insistence on tighter regulation – raising alarms about censorship, surveillance, and the erosion of privacy in one of the world’s oldest democracies.

The OSA, enacted to shield children from harmful content such as pornography and violent extremism, has instead morphed into a sprawling censorship apparatus, forcing lawful political discussions and independent forums offline while empowering tech giants to act as arbiters of truth. Civil liberties groups warn that the law has effectively "childproofed" the internet for adults, requiring invasive age checks just to access basic content.

VPN usage surged by 700% in the UK following the OSA's implementation, as citizens scrambled to bypass restrictions. This prompted MPs like Jim McMahon (Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton) and Julia Lopez (Hornchurch and Upminster) to suggest regulating the privacy tools themselves.

Critics argue the OSA's vague language invites overzealous enforcement. Small forums, including fan communities and local message boards, have shuttered under the weight of compliance burdens, with one administrator of a message board for the soccer club Sunderland AFC nearly closing shop after struggling to navigate the British Office of Communications' (Ofcom) labyrinthine guidelines....<<<Read More>>>...

“Superflu,” tap water and the NHS

In his latest passing observations, Dr. Vernon Coleman suggests that the current “superflu” outbreak in the UK may be linked to the weakened immune systems of children due to excessive vaccinations, including the covid “vaccine.”

He criticises the global warming movement, suggesting that their proposal to drink tap water instead of bottled water is part of a depopulation plan, as tap water contains residues of prescription drugs. And he argues that the UK’s State-controlled healthcare system is possibly the worst in the Western world.

It is alleged that children are suffering most from this winter’s flu, which is, it is alleged, at large in the UK today. It is probably illegal even to ask if this could possibly be because their immune systems have been wrecked by an endless barrage of useless and toxic vaccinations (including the toxic and useless covid vaccine). Incidentally, the flu vaccine given to children in the UK is a “live” vaccine. Children who have the vaccine may, therefore, pass the flu onto their relatives. This will undoubtedly be a great help to the conspirators who are so desperate to kill off the elderly this winter. Incidentally, psychopathic doctors who are still injecting patients with the covid vaccine should be aware that they are obliged to tell their patients about any possible side effects and to obtain patients’ informed consent. Those doctors who do not do this should lose their licences if patients report them for not doing so. And they should be locked up for at least a decade, too.

Global warming fruitcakes are suggesting that we should all drink tap water rather than bottled water. This can only be part of the depopulation plan so loved by the conspirators. Tap water contains the residues of the prescription drugs taken, excreted and dumped into the rivers from which the tap water is often taken. Water companies are unable to remove prescription drug residues from drinking water. The presence of female hormones in the drinking water explains why fertility rates have collapsed and why young British males look and behave like teenage girls....<<<Read More>>>...

 

DEF LEPPARD - "Animal"

BREAKING: ‘Superflu’ Wave Goes into Decline Early

 The ‘surging’ wave of ‘superflu’ that is supposedly threatening the NHS with collapse this winter has gone into decline early, with prevalence (as measured by the proportion of tests coming back positive for influenza) dropping in the most recent week.

This is earlier than in many previous years, where the peak and drop-off coincided with Christmas.

While there may yet be a further uptick in cases, it means the worries of a runaway epidemic accelerating out of control and bringing health services to their knees (a supposedly “worst case scenario“) have turned out to be misplaced – to the surprise of no Daily Sceptic readers or anyone who follows the data and not just the hysterical media froth.

 Here are the charts from the UKHSA surveillance reports (remember those?) that show the drop-off, with a corresponding sharp slowdown in hospital admissions....<<<Read More>>>...

Food for Thought #882

 

New Homes Must be Bird-Friendly Despite Reeves War on “Green Tape”

 New homes will have to include special bricks for endangered birds such as swifts under Labour’s new planning rules, despite Rachel Reeves’s war on “green tape”. The Telegraph has the story.

In a shake-up of England’s planning rules, Labour will insist that new builds are fitted with nature-friendly features such as swift bricks, hollow nesting boxes for the bird species that fit into walls.

The Chancellor has railed against “green tape” holding back the economy, saying that businesses should be able to “focus on getting things built and stop worrying about the bats and the newts”.

Earlier this year, she complained that “absolutely insane” environmental regulation had become a “barrier” to investment, pointing to the £100 million spent on a ‘bat tunnel’ as part of HS2.

However, the Government has now announced that it will introduce rules, designed to protect endangered species, for new builds.

The measures are included in its proposed overhaul of England’s national planning policy framework (NPPF), hailed as the “biggest rewrite” of the planning rulebook in a decade.

Labour said the reforms would help to hit its target of building 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament.

Among the “key revisions” listed on Tuesday was the statement: “New builds to include nature-friendly features, such as installing swift bricks to support wildlife – adding little to building costs whilst delivering a win-win for nature and housebuilding.”

Swifts nest in nooks and crannies in Britain’s buildings. Once a common sight in English skies, their numbers are now declining, placing them on the UK’s red list for birds.

A lack of nesting sites is thought to be one reason behind a falling population, as well as reduced food supplies because of a drop in the number of insects available to eat.

It is understood the bricks will be treated as a requirement for new homes, with developers expected to include them unless there are compelling technical reasons preventing their use or making them ineffective....<<<Read More>>>...

Deep Purple - Bad Attitude

The evidence is clear: Masks don't do anything

 We're being hit with the "Super Flu" (allegedly), and that means everyone wants us to wear masks again.

We went over this (a lot) in 2020. Then we went over it again in 2023. Masks don't work, they never worked, and - prior to 2020 - the academic literature was very clear on this.

In a 2016 literature review, infection control expert Dr John Hardie found [emphasis added]:
Between 2004 and 2016 at least a dozen research or review articles have been published on the inadequacies of face masks. All agree that the poor facial fit and limited filtration characteristics of face masks make them unable to prevent the wearer inhaling airborne particles. In their well-referenced 2011 article on respiratory protection for healthcare workers, Drs. Harriman and Brosseau conclude that, "facemasks will not protect against the inhalation of aerosols."

Health care workers have long relied heavily on surgical masks to provide protection against influenza and other infections. Yet there are no convincing scientific data that support the effectiveness of masks for respiratory protection. 

It should be concluded from these and similar studies that the filter material of face masks does not retain or filter out viruses...<<<Read More>>>...

Food for Thought #881

 

“Death by doctor” goes global in 2026

 Death by doctor is not painless, peaceful and dignified – on the contrary, it’s painful, horrifying and cruel, Dr. Vernon Coleman writes.

Instances of prolonged and distressing deaths are frequent, with a high incidence of vomiting, re-awakening from coma and prolongation of the dying process – some people take up to seven days to die.

This is not hyperbole.

A study performed in the Netherlands showed that in 21 of 114 cases, the patient did not die as soon as expected or woke up, and the doctor had to “kill” them for a second time.

Doctor-assisted suicide, also known as physician-assisted dying (PAD), medical aid in dying (“MAiD”) or voluntary assisted dying (“VAD”), is legal in several countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United States and Uruguay.

In addition, several countries have constitutional court rulings that have effectively legalised assisted dying, though legislative implementation is pending or incomplete, including Italy and Estonia.

In the UK, legislation to legalise doctors murdering their patients is currently in the House of Lords, having been passed by the House of Commons. Titled ‘Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill’, it is a private members’ bill introduced into parliament by Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Spen Valley, and is currently at the Committee Stage before it has its third reading in the House of Lords, a date for which has not yet been set.

Memory Lane - "White Egret"

STRANGER POND CANBERRA

 

Woman Recognised as “First Black Briton” by BBC was Actually White

 A woman who was recognised as the “first black Briton” by the BBC was actually white, a new genetic study has shown. The Telegraph has the story.

In 2016, the series Black and British: A Forgotten History suggested that the Roman skeleton of a woman found at Beachy Head was from sub-Saharan Africa.

A plaque was erected to commemorate her heritage, which was later removed when a study suggested the woman was more likely to be from Cyprus, with a Mediterranean complexion.

Now a new DNA analysis of the skeleton by scientists at the Natural History Museum has shown that the woman originated from southern England and was white, with blonde hair and light eyes.

Dr William Marsh, who carried out the genetic study, said, “By using state of the art DNA techniques we were able to resolve the origins of this individual. We show she carries genetic ancestry that is most similar to other individuals from the local population of Roman-era Britain.”

The claim about the skeleton’s African origins was made in Prof David Olusoga’s documentary series, which told the story of the “enduring relationship between Britain and people whose origins lie in Africa”.

In episode one, the Beachy Head woman was presented as “sub-Saharan African in origin”, and the programme featured a reconstruction of her features, with dark skin, hair and eyes.

In the programme, Prof Olusoga remarked that “she’s a black Briton”, while Jo Seaman, an expert archaeologist, explained that her African origins and the age of her remains were likely to have made her the “earliest black Briton”....<<<Read More>>>...

The Reptilian Code, The Truth Hidden in Your Brain

Reset From Stress to Serenity

 The holidays don’t look the same for everyone, and they tend to touch us all in different ways. For some, they bring equal parts excitement and stress — especially as we prepare for long hours on the road, shared meals with loved ones around the table, and the exchange of gifts, laughter, and wonderfully nostalgic memories. For others, the season carries heavier emotions, marked by empty chairs, quiet spaces, and the grief for those no longer with us.

Yet, no matter what this time of year brings for you, it also offers a kind invitation — to take care of yourself in new or familiar ways. To pause between destinations, give your nervous system a moment of rest when you’re feeling overwhelmed, and offer yourself simple, holistic practices like gentle movement, reflective journaling, or calming breathwork to help reset your energy and well-being.

And maybe that’s one of the quieter gifts of this season: the reminder that caring for ourselves isn’t something extra — it’s something essential. When we nourish our bodies and nervous systems with warmth and intention, we’re more likely to meet life in ways that feel grounded and joyful. Not perfectly. Not performatively. But with your whole self — embodied in presence and heart. (Daily OM)

Discover your destiny

The only way to know what to do

People are talking endlessly not only about morality and moral rules in general, but about what they think you should do specifically.

Date? Not date? Get married or not? Have children or not? Hustle hard and get rich — or lay low and get out of the hamster wheel? Do the responsible corporate job or quit and open your weird startup? Escape to the countryside or create a futuristic metropolitan enclave? Everybody seems to have their answers, trying to impose them on the rest of us. We are surrounded by a shrill new Heideggerian "they" that never shuts up, forever tugging us here and there, and once we have regained balance, again comes at us with the worst advice at the worst possible moment.

If this gets on your nerves, good for you: it's the first step to actually start becoming sovereign, or morally self-sufficient, as I like to call it. More often than not, however, people get needlessly confused: they adopt some kind of half-truth they read somewhere, try to force it on the reality of their situation, and then wonder why they land in the dirt, face first...<<<Read More>>>...

Food for Thought #880

 

Brace Yourselves Once Again for the Mask Madness

 “They’re here.”

Many will recall the little girl from the 1982 Poltergeist film, standing in front of the TV set, announcing the return of the malevolent spirits. These iconic words seem an appropriate way to announce the reappearance of the pro-mask ghouls who, over recent days, have been beseeching us all to wear a face covering to protect ourselves (and, of course, the NHS) from the consequences of the scary-sounding ‘super flu’.

It is the usual suspects who are screaming again. A senior NHS mandarin, Daniel Elkeles, has said that the UK faces “a tidal wave” of illness and that people should “get back into the habit” of mask-wearing. Pandemic industry technocrats at the UK Health Security Agency have repeated their highly dubious claims that strapping pieces of porous plastic across our airways can protect ourselves and others from those pesky microscopic pathogens. Most predictably of all, Professor Trish Greenhalgh has popped her pantyhose-clad head above her ideological trench to broadcast the benefits of multi-layered face coverings. And of course, the BBC has been keen to amplify this nonsense in its reporting of specific hospitals that are recommending masks for their staff and service users.

It hardly warrants repeating that the more robust scientific studies, together with the bulk of the real-world evidence, show that masks constitute an ineffectual viral barrier, and no amount of evidential cherry-picking and fantastical claims about ‘source control’ will change that conclusion. And how do the muzzle mafia manage to avoid any consideration of the multiplicity of significant harms associated with ubiquitous masking? Maybe their mono-focused minds don’t care about the collateral damage of their crusade....<<<Read More>>>...

Quote for the Day

 

AI Found to Mislead Voters and Change Election Outcomes

 Two major studies published by Science and Nature found a shocking portion of voters were persuaded by AI chatbots, shifting opinions by an enormous 15 percentage points in some elections. Over 15 AI models were tested on 80,000 participants in the UK, US, Canada, and Poland, and chatbots were found to be 50% more persuasive than traditional campaign ads.

The problem here is not just that AI is shifting public opinion. A fifth of claims fed to users were rated predominantly inaccurate. So, pairing the automated models’ misinformation, their sheer persuasiveness, and the fact that 44% of US adults are already using tools like ChatGPT regularly, we must ponder some key points: how does this shape future elections, how can we control deliberate misinformation, and what if unscrupulous actors find a way to exploit these systems?

Shifting voters’ preferences by between two and fifteen percentage points is an effect so large it could flip almost any modern election. These models don’t rely on emotional manipulation. Instead, they bombard users with confident streams of information – some accurate, but much of it not. In fact, the most persuasive systems were also the least truthful.

In the US, when Trump supporters engaged with a pro-Harris chatbot, their support shifted 3.9 percentage points towards Harris. Harris supporters exposed to a pro-Trump model moved 2.3 points in the opposite direction. These swings are extraordinary in magnitude considering that most political advertisements and campaigns achieve far less than a one-point shift – often statistically indistinguishable from zero.

The 3.9-point shift in favour of Harris is four times greater than the measured effect of all political ads during the 2016 and 2020 elections....<<<Read More>>>...

DEF LEPPARD - "Hysteria"

The great electric vehicle fantasy crashes into reality as Ford abandons flagship EVs, swallows $19.5 billion loss

 Ford announces a massive $19.5 billion writedown as it retreats from electric vehicles.

The company is discontinuing models like the F-150 Lightning due to catastrophic losses.

Consumer rejection is driven by high costs, limited range, and impracticality.

This follows an industry-wide pattern of scaling back EV production and plans.

The shift marks a return to gasoline and hybrid vehicles that consumers demand.

The electric vehicle revolution, long championed by climate alarmists and government central planners, has hit a wall of financial and consumer reality. In a stunning admission of failure, Ford Motor Company announced this week it is taking a monumental $19.5 billion writedown as it discontinues several electric models, including its flagship F-150 Lightning pickup. This strategic retreat from all-electric vehicles marks one of the largest corporate impairments in history and signals a decisive pivot back to the gasoline and hybrid vehicles that American consumers actually want. The move, driven by catastrophic losses and evaporating demand, exposes the green energy transition as an unaffordable fantasy forced upon the public.

For years, political and environmental elites have demanded an immediate, forced transition to electric vehicles, dismissing practical concerns and economic realities. Ford’s $19.5 billion reckoning, concentrated in its electric vehicle business, is the direct result of that failed agenda. The company is essentially incinerating capital spent chasing a market that never materialized as promised. This writedown includes $8.5 billion from halted EV projects and $6 billion from exiting a battery partnership, a clear signal that the infrastructure for this mandated transition is collapsing under its own weight....<<<Read More>>>.... 

Food for Thought #879

 

UK Arrests 33 People a Day for Social Media Posts

 The United Kingdom has eroded all citizens’ individual rights. No one is safe, even if they are thousands of miles away. Around 33 people are arrested each day for voicing opinions or engaging in legal actions that the government does not approve of. 

In 2023, authorities arrested over 12,000 people across England and Wales, citing the Communications Act and the Malicious Communications Act.

Arrests have increased and surpassed national borders. A man from Yorkshire was on holiday in Florida, participating in a favorite state pastime of marksmanship. He posted a picture of himself holding a rifle on social media, which should be perfectly legal. The rifle was lawfully owned and he was on private land. Nevertheless, the image was reported to the authorities, who descended on his home in the middle of the night. He spent the night in jail and later appeared at Bradford Magistrate Court where he faced up to six months imprisonment...<<<Read More>>>...

Quote for the Day

 

Checks and Balances

 Most of us have probably come across the universal wisdom that the people who irritate us the most are expressing qualities that we ourselves have. This is why family members can be so vexing — we see ourselves in them, and vice versa. This isn’t always true, of course, but when it is, it’s a real opportunity for growth if we can acknowledge it. It is infinitely easier to change ourselves than it is to try to change another person, which is never a good idea. For example, if we have a coworker who engages in some kind of negative behavior, like complaining or trying to control everything, we can look and see if we ourselves carry those traits.

We may have to look to other situations in our lives to see it because we behave differently in different environments. Perhaps we don’t complain at work because our coworker overdoes it. But maybe we do it with our friends. Maybe we aren’t controlling at the office, but we’re used to being in control at home. This is why we feel so irritated not to be in control at work. Even if we look and find that we are not engaging in the same behavior that we see as negative in others, we can still learn from what we are seeing in this person. The truth is, human nature is universal, and we share many of the same tendencies. What we see in others can always help us to understand ourselves more deeply.

Having the ability to see something in another person and automatically bring this observation back to ourselves is like having a built-in system of checks and balances. It enables us to be continually engaged in self-exploration and behavior change. When we see behavior we don’t like, we can make a concerted effort to weed it out of ourselves, and when we see behavior we do like, we can let it inspire us to engage in imitation. Through this process, we read our environment and let it influence us to bring out the best in ourselves (Daily OM)

Yes - Wonderous Stories

Labour Has Gone Beyond Lying to Bullshitting

 Not quite 18 months ago Labour was elected to office having promised “a return to the foundations of good government, national security, secure borders and economic stability”. As he entered Downing Street the Head of Chambers new Prime Minister told us that he would “tread more lightly” on our lives.

It has achieved these things – the return of stability while treading more lightly on our lives – in eccentric ways. Here’s a few of them (by no means exhaustive): the introduction of randomised policing; the cancellation of elections; the effective dissolution of the national borders; the introduction of de facto infanticide; the bewildering surrender of overseas territories (with the twist that we seem to be both buyer and vendor at the same time); the immiserating amplification of cultish environmentalism; the fetishistic regulation of speech; and the criminalisation of silent prayer in public, although only in those places where it is most needed.

Its most recent contribution to the spiritual health of the nation? The proposal that childhood in all its innocence, enchantments and bafflements can be in some circumstances an opportunity for irreversible medical experimentation.

This is not really what most of us were expecting. For some, the thing to focus on here is the lying. To me that seems a bit odd. If a husband tells his wife that he missed dinner because of traffic, when in fact he was out murdering a sex worker, I’m not sure that the lie is the worst thing going on in that situation.

It is true that lying is morally wrong, more so with some lies than with others. St Augustine gives the unimprovable analysis in his sermon De Mendacio. A lie, to count as such, must be a deliberate attempt to mislead. And a lie can never be justified since God is truth, and it can never be morally right to say that the world is not as He has willed it to be, when you know that this is what you are doing.

You shouldn’t even lie to bring about something good, or to avoid something bad. Why? Because lying corrupts the soul, and the tedious formulations of moral relativism or utilitarianism are inapplicable to the deeper truths of spiritual physics.

But all that is by-the-by when talking about this Government, which isn’t so much composed of liars as bullshitters. And in some ways bullshitting is worse than lying....<<<Read More>>>...

A silent threat: How everyday ALUMINUM exposure may be harming your health

Aluminum, a neurotoxic metal with no biological benefit, contaminates cookware, cosmetics, vaccines, food packaging and drinking water, contributing to chronic diseases.

Studies link aluminum accumulation to Alzheimer's, ALS, bone disorders, hormonal imbalances and cognitive decline due to oxidative stress in the brain and organs.

Children receive 17 aluminum-containing shots by 18 months—four times more than decades ago—raising concerns about long-term neurological damage.

Avoid aluminum cookware, processed foods and contaminated water. Boost detox with vitamin C, cilantro, sulfur-rich foods (garlic, onions) and curcumin to combat oxidative stress.

Blood tests often miss aluminum overload; hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) is more reliable for detecting body burden. Public awareness and research are urgently needed.

Aluminum—a metal with no known biological benefit—permeates our daily lives, lurking in everything from cookware to cosmetics, vaccines and drinking water. Mounting scientific evidence suggests that this neurotoxic element contributes to serious health conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, bone disorders and hormonal imbalances. A recent study published in the journal Archives of Toxicology underscores the alarming risks of aluminum accumulation in the body, with earlier studies suggesting that 80% of tested individuals exhibit dangerously high levels....<<<Read More>>>...

Food for Thought #878

 

Who controls the world? It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it

 There is no fighting the system – there is only building something that avoids it.

Any major movement, party or organisation is controlled opposition to waste your time and lead you to believe the solution is to be found somewhere in the system, or in an organised mass movement.  It isn’t, and it never could be.

It’s in you and your family and some of your neighbours and friends revising what you believe, taking a realistic look at what is coming and preparing accordingly. There is only building a new supply chain and network for your needs and helping out with that network for others – whether producing food and goods, providing land, property, transport, online, infrastructure, etc. etc. Trade with cash, silver, gold, barter, time banking, favours, etc....<<<Read More>>>...

Whitesnake - Still of the Night

Mystical Mysteries of Mount Kailash: Why This Mount Is Unclimbed?

 Mount Kailash is located in a remote region of Western Tibet and this place is perhaps one of the most mysterious places on planet Earth. No matter how the researchers struggle, the secrets of the mountain remain incomprehensible…

The height of Kailash is 6666 meters. Four main rivers of India originate from it. However, the main water mystery are two lakes. They are located at an altitude of 4650 meters. Separated from each other by a thin stone isthmus, they are a real wonder of the world.

First – Manasarovaras, Mapam Jumco (“lake of living water”) keeps calm in any, even the most inclement weather. You can safely drink its purest fresh water. Some even notice the healing and rejuvenating effect of Manasarovar....<<<Read More>>>.... 

Quote for the Day

 

Super Flu? More Like Super Hype

 The BBC informs us that we have entered a ‘Super-Flu’ crisis, “unlike anything since the pandemic”. Other outlets scream that hospitals are facing a “worst case scenario”. Wes Streeting expands by telling us that a “tidal wave of flu” is tearing through them. Schools have closed pre-emptively, particularly in Wales. Some closures are to provide ‘firebreaks’, not because they have many cases. Leeds schoolchildren have been told not to sing in assembly. Shadowy ‘NHS Leaders’ advise the public to wear masks, with this recommendation shuffling-ly endorsed by the PM. Masking has been mandated at a few hospitals. Vaccination is being pushed, including of toddlers ‘to protect granny’.

It is all horribly reminiscent of 2020-21.

The actual statistics, published yesterday by the UKHSA and covering the period up to December 11th, therefore come as a surprise. They tell that “influenza activity [has] increased and [the virus] is circulating at ‘medium’ levels”, as confirmed by lab testing and GP surveillance.

‘Medium’ doesn’t feature widely in the Super-Flu headlines.

Yet it seems accurate. Figures 1-3, from the UKHSA’s report, illustrate GP consultations for influenza-like illness, then hospitalisations and then ICU/high dependency admissions for laboratory-confirmed influenza. A recent article in the Financial Times indicates that there were just 106 patients in intensive care with flu last week. I can find no mention of deaths...<<<Read More>>>...

Restore Britain publishes a plan for removing 2 million illegal migrants from the UK

 Restore Britain has published a policy paper outlining the legal obstacles to and the practical logistics of deporting every illegal migrant in Britain. At this time, it is estimated that there are in the region of 2 million illegal immigrants in Britain.

Using a two-pronged approach of voluntary and enforced removals, “it would take exactly 3 years to deport all of the roughly 1.8 million illegals we believe to be living in our midst,” the paper states.

Restore Britain is a new political movement led by Rupert Lowe, Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth. It describes itself as a grassroots effort aimed at reshaping how Britain is governed and has the foundational principles of “low tax, small state, slash immigration, protect British culture, restore Christian principles, carpet-bomb the cancer of wokery, fight lawfare, empower individual enterprise and plenty more.” On its “Join Us” page, Restore Britain adds free speech and direct democracy as core principles

“2029 is the ultimate objective, but that does not mean we cannot effect real and positive change in the next four years. If we don’t, there won’t be a Britain to restore,” Mr. Lowe says....<<<Read More>>>...

Food for Thought #877

 

A geological revelation: Earth’s hidden carbon vault

 Scientists have discovered a massive, previously unrecognized natural carbon storage system deep beneath the South Atlantic Ocean.

The system consists of porous volcanic rubble, called breccia, formed by the erosion of underwater mountains.

This rock can trap 2 to 40 times more carbon dioxide than typical ocean crust, locking it away for tens of millions of years.

The process involves seawater flowing through the rubble, reacting with the rock to form calcium carbonate minerals that permanently store CO2.

This finding reshapes understanding of Earth's long-term carbon cycle and reveals a key mechanism for stabilizing the planet's climate over geological time.

In a discovery that reshapes our understanding of Earth's climate machinery, an international team of scientists has uncovered a colossal, natural carbon dioxide storage system operating silently beneath the ocean floor. Led by researchers from the University of Southampton, the study, published in December 2025, analyzed rock cores drilled from deep beneath the South Atlantic Ocean. It reveals that vast deposits of eroded volcanic rubble, formed over 60 million years ago, act as a geological sponge, sequestering enormous amounts of CO2 for tens of millions of years and playing a critical, underappreciated role in stabilizing the planet's long-term climate....<<<Read More>>>...

The Architects of the Loop The System Wasn’t Built for You

Megalithic prehistoric object 10 kilometers long discovered under water

 Huge stone structures stretched for 10 kilometers. These structures were built by humans about 5,500 years ago

Archaeologists are studying the mysterious cairns and underwater wall of ancient stone piles, or cairns, that stretch for miles under Lake Constance, a glacial lake located between Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

According to a study published in 2021, these structures were built by humans about 5,500 years ago. Originally discovered by the Lake Research Institute in Langenargen in 2015, the huge stone pyramids have attracted public attention and controversy among experts. A few hundred meters from the southwestern Swiss shore of Lake Constance, there are about 170 such stone formations. Neolithic rock formations in the canton of Thurgau were created by humans during the Neolithic Age, according to a team of archaeologists led by Urs Leusinger...<<<Read More>>>...

Joe Satriani - Flying In a Blue Dream

Food for Thought #876

 

Substack expands censorship to Australian users

 On Wednesday, Australian Substack authors received a message: “Substack is introducing age verification steps for readers in Australia.”

“To say that I was flabbergasted is an understatement,” author of Informed Choice Meryl Dorey said, because “Substack is NOT social media. And it is NOT being required by the Australian Reichstag to ask for age verification.”

Last week, we noted that Substack had caved into the UK censorship regime and was restricting the content that UK users can access unless they verified their age with either a selfie or a government-approved ID.

Age verification is not about keeping children “safe,” it is about control: age verification online is increasingly being integrated with digital ID systems, particularly through government-backed digital identity wallets, and is becoming a foundational component of digital ID systems with several countries, including the US, European Union member states, the UK and Australia, advancing digital ID frameworks where age verification is a core function.

For example, the GOV.UK Wallet is under development and will be used for identity verification, with age verification being a key application. And in Australia, the Digital ID Act 2024 established the Australian Government Digital ID System, allows users to prove identity online....<<<Read More>>>...

Quote for the Day

 

Miliband Isolated as EU Prepares to Reverse Petrol Car Ban

 Ed Miliband has been left isolated over his Net Zero policies after the European Union dropped “indefinitely” a flagship pledge to ban sales of new petrol cars. The Telegraph has more.

Brussels was said to be preparing for a major climbdown on vehicle emissions rules amid a revolt by member states including Germany and Italy.

Manfred Weber, head of the European Parliament’s biggest grouping of MEPs, said a ban on petrol, diesel and hybrid cars scheduled for 2035 was now off the table indefinitely.

The dramatic reversal across the Channel will be seen as a fresh blow to Mr Miliband, the Energy Secretary, and Labour’s Net Zero policies that critics say risk damaging industry and driving up costs for households.

Ministers are now facing calls from the car industry to revisit Britain’s own plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and hybrids from 2035.

Before these deadlines, car makers must also hit electric car sales targets under the so-called zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

On Thursday night, the Government insisted it remained committed to the policies. A review has been pencilled in for 2027.

But Claire Coutinho, the Conservative Shadow Energy Secretary, said: “Rather than banning, taxing and forcing people into electric cars, the Government should get out of the way and back consumer choice.

“That’s why we have to repeal the Net Zero legislation, cut people’s electricity bills by 20% with our Cheap Power Plan and allow people to use that cheap electricity to buy the products they want to, when they want to.

“Forcing people to buy expensive technologies before they’re ready simply for the sake of meeting a Net Zero target just makes people poorer.”

Richard Tice, of Reform UK, said: “We should stop the internal combustion engine ban as part of scrapping Net Zero.

“This is the only way to save the UK automotive industry.”...<<<Read More>>>...