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>>>...

Caffeine myths debunked: What science really says about your daily coffee habit

 Moderate coffee consumption (3-4 cups/day) doesn't dehydrate you—water balance remains stable unless intake exceeds 5+ cups.

Sweat rates and genetics, not caffeine, determine workout hydration; pre-workout coffee is fine unless consumed excessively.

Caffeine's metabolism boost is minor and inconsistent—don't rely on it for weight loss.

Regular drinkers retain caffeine's performance perks; athletes may need higher doses (6-9 mg/kg) for optimal effects.

Responses vary by genetics, gender and health—moderation (and self-awareness) is key for mental, heart and bone health.

In recent years, caffeine consumption has been the subject of heated debate, with wellness gurus and researchers offering conflicting advice. Some advocate delaying caffeine intake to avoid afternoon crashes, while others insist that timing makes no difference. A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition has now settled some of these disputes, debunking long-held myths and providing clarity on caffeine's effects on hydration, performance, mental health and more....<<<Read More>>>...

Food for Thought #875

 

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)

Thunder - Low Life In High Places

Who is the US fighting: Alien UFOs or Enemy Spy-Balloons

After a Chinese “weather balloon” hovered over the United States of America for three days, the continent was suddenly attacked one by one by several more unidentified flying objects.

While the rest of the world makes memes about a Chinese hot air balloon speeding away from American fighters, the Pentagon military is dealing with an unknown threat.

Over Alaska, Canada, and the United States from Thursday to Sunday, one after another, three more unidentified flying objects appeared. All of them were at a very high altitude, but they did not look like any of the known aircraft.

The first encounter between American pilots and a UFO occurred on February 10, over the coast of Alaska.The object was seen the day before, on February 9, and was a danger to civil aviation.

Flights were forced to be grounded by the military.As a result, the plane carrying workers from one of the US oil companies to Anchorage returned to the airport. After this incident, Canadian authorities supported the Pentagon’s decision to shoot down the facility.

By this time, the military already knew: the UFO does not have engines of known design or visible control systems....<<<Read More>>>...

Food for Thought #874

 

New study reveals alarming link between COVID vaccines and heart inflammation

 Stanford researchers confirmed mRNA vaccines trigger myocarditis via a two-step inflammatory cascade—CXCL10 recruits immune cells, followed by IFN-gamma, which damages heart tissue, creating a vicious cycle of inflammation.

Beyond inflammation, the vaccine's spike protein infiltrates heart cells, causing autoimmune attacks (molecular mimicry), with lingering spike proteins detected in myocarditis victims' cardiac tissue.

Young males face disproportionate harm due to testosterone exacerbating inflammation, while estrogen may be protective—evidenced by military data showing myocarditis cases within days of vaccination.

Pfizer's leaked documents and independent studies prove prior knowledge of myocarditis risks, yet CDC/FDA downplayed them, ignored military warnings and maintained mandates without adequate safety monitoring.

Soy-derived genistein blocked heart damage in mice, exposing the absurdity of needing "fixes" for a flawed product. Critics demand accountability for trial flaws, censorship and the broader pattern of vaccine injuries (blood clots, infertility, neurological harm) suppressed by authorities.

A groundbreaking study from Stanford University has confirmed that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines trigger myocarditis—a potentially life-threatening heart inflammation—through a two-step inflammatory process driven by specific immune chemicals. Published this week, the research sheds light on a phenomenon that has been dismissed or downplayed by health authorities despite mounting evidence from military data, leaked Pfizer documents and independent medical reports....<<<Read More>>>...

Quote for the Day

 

The Screaming ‘Super Flu’ Headlines vs The Data

The latest headlines suggest we’re heading for a doomsday scenario: ‘NHS ‘facing worst-case,’ says the Guardian. ‘Super flu strikes during perfect storm,’ headlines Sky. A “tidal wave” says the Independent, and health chiefs have warned there’s “still no flu peak in sight“, reports the Mail.

Putting aside the media drivel, what do the data say?

The surveillance data up to December 7th paint a very different picture.

While many headlines are screaming that the ‘flu’ has come early, comparisons with the last two years indicate that it is within the range of previous years if you go back a little...<<<Read More>>>...

Compliance will destroy us all

For more years than most people realise, the conspirators have been training the masses to obey and to comply. They have used endless threats (such as global warming and the fake covid pandemic) to terrify populations around the world.

We cannot fight back with force because the enemy controls our armies.

Throwing apple crumble and custard at the crown jewels, delaying traffic, interrupting sporting events and throwing dye onto the stones of Stonehenge either annoy or trigger contempt. (All of these have been tried.) Such pathetic stunts will not change anything.

We cannot fight back through the ballot box because elections are fixed and the political parties are interchangeable.

So what can we do? Things are now moving very quickly – especially in Britain, where the massive rise in local property taxes means that banks have an excuse to close the remainder of the branches – making online banking inevitable.

A programme of non-compliance is our only choice – the only route to victory.

Here’s how the modern defender of freedom does not comply with the system created by the conspirators (please replace “he” with “she” where appropriate):

He doesn’t vote for any political party. He will always prefer to vote for an entirely independent candidate outside the system.

He refuses to bank online. He insists on using cash and paper cheques as often as possible.

He refuses to accept a digital identity.

He has never worn a face mask in private or in public.

He refused the covid vaccine (and other vaccines he is offered).

He writes regularly to politicians explaining why they should oppose “death by doctor” legislation. 

He does not participate in the absurdly wasteful recycling programmes run by local councils.

He does not have a smart meter for electricity or water. (If you have a smart meter, you are vulnerable. If you annoy the authorities, they can cut off your electricity in an instant.)

He does not have a doorbell with a camera (most such bells merely provide the authorities with yet more surveillance cameras).

He will never have a dash camera and if he rides a bike, he won’t have a helmet camera (these are part of the surveillance of the people).

He does not have a TV licence, and if anyone comes from the BBC (“if you don’t give us money for something you don’t want, we will harass you to death”), he will refuse to let them through the door (as is his right).

He uses cash whenever he can

He will not accept a digital identity....<<<Read More>>>...

Food for Thought #873

 

Elevator Ride To Another Reality: The Mysterious Case of a Woman from Chicago

 This story was told on the Reddit few years ago and is still one of the most famous and popular there in the “Glitch in the Matrix” subreddit.

What does it mean when you glitch in The Matrix? A phrase first coined in the 1999 film The Matrix—which posited the idea that humanity is living in a giant computer simulation—over the years a “glitch in the matrix” has become shorthand for an example of an unusual occurrence that cannot logically be explained.

The photos in the article belong to the author of the story and were posted by her in the same post.

The author of the story is a young woman named Sidney Daniel. A mysterious incident happened to her in 2001 when she was 8 years old. Then she, along with her mother, brother, aunt and grandmother, went to Chicago to see the skeleton of a dinosaur named Sue.

“This happened when I was about 8 in 2001. My mom, brother, aunt and grandma had all traveled to Chicago to see Dinosaur Sue. We had been staying in a hotel nearby for about 5 days. It was very upscale, new, and overall very nice....<<<Read More>>>...

Dream Theater - Pull Me Under

Rigged system: The .001% wealthiest elite CONTROL more wealth than the poorest 50%

 Our global economic system, a system meticulously engineered to funnel resources upward and consolidate extreme wealth into the hands of a few, is teetering on the verge of collapse. 

While this system traps the majority of the world's population in a cycle of debt, dependence and bankruptcy, a small elite are allowed to control the vast majority of resources, pulling the levers of institutions and becoming above the law.

The system we were promised is advertised as capitalism, liberating poor people from poverty. While elements of this are true, the bigger numbers tell a different story. The grand economic numbers are so grotesque they defy moral comprehension, revealing a criminal level of wealth consolidation that threatens the very fabric of society. 

Why is this allowed to continue, and what does it say about the institutions that are supposed to guard against such extreme disparity...<<<Read More>>>...

Image of the Day - "Stair caillte i ndáiríre a goideadh uainn"

THE COVER, AVEBURY, WILTSHIRE.

 

People who drive electric cars to “save the planet” are hypocrites

 The entire “net-zero” edifice is built on the claim that CO₂ is a pollutant that is causing a climate crisis. This is the greatest deception of our time.

Yet based on this lie, the health of people and ecosystems in Indonesia and China is being ruined to feed one of the centrepieces of the “green” agenda: the electric vehicle industry.

If, after reading Vijay Jaaraj’s article below, you purchase or drive an electric vehicle because you think you are “saving the planet,” not only have you been deceived, but you are a hypocrite.

The silent, gleaming chassis of an electric vehicle (“EV”) glides through a pristine forest or a spotless, futuristic city. The message is simple: The driver is saving the planet. It is a narrative built on a convenient, calculated omission.

Pull back the curtain on the EV supply chain – starting with Indonesian nickel mining and extending through rare-earth mineral processing in China – and there is revealed a far less immaculate picture. The “zero tailpipe emissions” tag is a masterpiece of misdirection, diverting attention away from an environmental hellscape.

In Sulawesi, Indonesia, conveyor belts stretch across once-lush forests belching dust into the air, while smokestacks stain the sky with a toxic haze. The rush to supply the West’s EV appetite has triggered a nickel boom, but the cost lands squarely on the people and ecosystems of Indonesia.

So, why single out nickel? Today’s batteries – the heart of EV propulsion – are built on nickel, of which Indonesia is the largest producer. Without Indonesian nickel, the supply chains for “clean” vehicles grind to a halt. And every new electric SUV delivered to showrooms leaves behind the environmental cost imposed on these Indonesian communities.

What exactly billows from Indonesian smokestacks and seeps from factory discharges into rivers and soils? A partial list includes sulphur dioxide, a corrosive gas; nitrogen oxides and microscopic particulate matter, both constituents of smog; chromium; ammonia; hydrogen sulphide; and heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cobalt and cadmium. All are pollutants with potential effects on health.

Fishers from Sulawesi and North Maluku lament vanishing shoals and toxic mud spilling into the sea. Even the air is said to taste of metal and ash. These are the lived experiences of thousands of Indonesians, not isolated anecdotes.

The battery is only part of the story. The EV’s electric motor, as well as the machinery of giant wind turbines that might charge the battery, require powerful magnets made from rare-earth minerals. And more than 90% of the world’s supply of these processed minerals comes from China...<<<Read More>>>...