WendyMcElroy.com

Ghosts of the Alexandria Hotel by MN Gordon
Economic Prism

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”
– Luke 14:28-30

Seize the Towers

The highlight of the 2024 Grammys last month was the duet by Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs of Chapman’s 1988 hit “Fast Car.” The performers teamed up to deliver several minutes of musical magic.

The otherwise hollow affair was held at the posh Crypto.com Arena – formerly known as the Staples Center – in downtown Los Angeles. This is one of the few places in LA that will pull the rich and famous away from their protected westside enclaves in Malibu Colony and Beverly Hills.

[ Read the rest ... ]

BREAKING. From Anadolu Agency: Scores of Palestinians killed, injured as Israel bombs aid truck in central Gaza. Sunday’s attack comes days after at least 116 people killed in Israeli shelling of crowd waiting for aid south of Gaza City

Julian Assange. From Truth Out: US Refuses to Assure UK Judges That Assange Won’t Be Executed If He’s Extradited. From Diem25: Srećko Horvat: They’re killing Assange because they want to cover up their crimes. [Ed: a personal friend of Assange.]

From FOX Weather: Dangerous blizzard continues pounding California with 10-plus feet of snow, 190 mph wind gust.

From Gilbert Doctorow: Vladimir Putin’s State of the Nation speech today: an overview. [Ed: recommended.] AND Postscript to Overview of Vladimir Putin’s State of the Nation address. [Ed: important.]

From the Animal Channel: Man finds stray dog running loose in Dollar General and quickly jumps to help her.

Border. From the Red State: Latest Biden Remarks on Border Show Just How Deceitful He Can Be, Elon and the Internet Let Him Have It. [Ed: Musk nailed it.]

Handling the Homeless. From Politico: ‘Everyone is terrified of King Gavin’: Newsom’s unchallenged anti-homelessness gambit. The governor has repackaged his mental health ballot measure to make it more appealing to voters amid a budget crunch. Here’s why no one is trying to stop him. From FOX News: Florida House passes bill to prohibit homeless people from sleeping in public. H.B. 1365 passed the Republican-controlled House 82-26. From Cal Matters: It’s now significantly more deadly to be homeless. Why are so many people dying?

From Consortium News: MSM Target Galloway at Victory Party. [Ed: interesting situation in the UK. A harbinger?]

Coming U.S. Elections. From the Associated Press: Trump Wins All Delegates Up for Grabs Saturday. He wins contests in Idaho, Missouri, and Michigan. [Ed: should get the required 1,215 delegates for the nomination later this month.]

Crypto. From QTR Fringe Finance: Let Bitcoin Cook. [Ed: other cryptos are following suit.] From Bloomberg: Wall Street Turbocharges Bitcoin's Wild Rally and Rakes In Cash. [Ed: reader friendly.]

From the Libertarian Institute: Kenya & Haiti Sign Agreement To Deploy Force To Caribbean Nation. "Gangs fired on the international airport & took control of at least two police stations..."

The Biden Crime Family. From Just the News: Road to Hunter Biden’s Burisma riches was paved in Moscow with effort to court Russian oligarchs, [Ed: everything they accuse Trump of doing, they are doing.] From the Post Millennial: James Biden testifies to Congress that Joe received $40,000 from CCP-linked gas company CEFC in 2017. James Biden, 74, testified that he had received income from overseas business dealings as recently as last year.

Gaza. From Politico: ‘We look 100 percent weak’: US airdrops in Gaza expose limit to Biden’s Israel policy. The US normally does airdrops in hostile environments, not in areas occupied by allies. From Reason: Airdropping Aid to Gaza Is an Expensive Gimmick. The airlift avoids the real problems causing starvation. From the Cradle: Western media whitewashes Israeli massacre of Palestinians seeking aid. [Ed: NYT ran the headline "Disastrous Convoy was Part of New Israeli Effort to Hand Out More Aid in Gaza."] From Zero Hedge: Israel Opts Out Of Gaza Talks In Cairo, Contradicting Prior White House Optimism. It was only yesterday a Biden official claimed Israel had "basically accepted" a 6-week ceasefire proposal.

From the Good News Network: Man Whose Dog Ran Away While He Was in a Coma Is Reunited Thanks to Strangers on Internet.

AI. Musk Sues OpenAI. From Knewz: Elon Musk sued OpenAI and its chief Sam Altman, alleging that he made the firm “radically depart from its original mission” by prioritizing profit over humanity. [Ed: a round-up of news items on this topic.] Or direct link to one story...From the New York Post: Elon Musk sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman for spurning ‘original mission’ in favor of profits. From PJ Media: Was Google’s AI All About Election Interference to Stop Trump? [Ed: probably one of the reasons.]

J6. From the Epoch Times: Appeals Court Overturns Jan. 6 Defendant’s Sentence, Potentially Impacting Dozens of Cases. Dozens of Jan. 6 cases might be impacted after the court’s ruling on Friday. From The Blaze: Reps. Loudermilk and Johnson announce release of 5,000 hours of Jan. 6 footage following arrest of Blaze Media's Steve Baker. [Ed: Baker arrested on 4 misdemeanors related to his J6 coverage. Videos have been uploaded and now appear on the House Subcommittee on Oversight's Rumble page.]

From Epoch TV: Robert Malone on Assisted Suicide: What Happens When the Government Has a Financial Incentive in Your Death? [Ed: transcript of video also included. Re: MAiD...Canada's booming assisted suicide industry.]

Trump's Persecutors. From Red State: Fani Willis and Nathan Wade Now Facing Trouble With the Georgia State Bar, "...claims Wade lied under oath about the relationship with Willis and that Willis kept campaign money for personal use, and admitted it during her testimony." [Ed: asking for disbarment. She is the prosecutor in the election interference trial.] From the Daily Caller: New York AG’s Campaign Splurged On Travel And Consultants — Despite Her Not Being Up For Reelection For Years. [Ed: sure looks like misuse of campaign funds. She is the prosecutor in the NY fraud case.]

From the Ops Desk: The Other Price We Pay for Woke DA's. Police lawsuit payouts are rising, are cops acting worse?

From the Post Millennial: Climate activists face felony charges after allegedly defacing US Constitution in DC. The DOJ said their stunt caused more than $50,000 worth of damages. From the Epoch Times: 'Very Bizarre': Scientists Expose Major Problems With Climate Change Data. "Climate activism has become the new religion of the 21st century - heretics are not welcome and not allowed to ask questions,"

From the Animal Channel: Golden retriever goes on adorable ‘mission’ when he sees mail truck pulling up

Guns. From Law Enforcement Today: Two liberal Supreme Court Justices show America they know shockingly little about firearms - or the law. [Ed: re bump stocks.] From Reason: California Violated the Second Amendment by Disarming People Based on Nullified Convictions. From Interesting Engineering: Machine gun-wielding robot dogs are better sharpshooters, claims study. A Chinese team of researchers has found that, with the right design, robot dogs with machine guns can rival human marksman.

From the Washington Post: TurboTax and H&R Block Want 'Permission to Blab Your Money Secrets' [Ed: reader friendly.]

[To access past Gracian aphorism's and my subjective interpretation of them, click here.]

Baltasar Gracian's aphorism #262: Know How to Forget

To know how to forget is more a stroke of fortune than an act of skill. The things that are best forgotten are most likely to be remembered. Not only is memory the villain for failing us when we need her most, but she becomes a fool for remembering those things we want least to remember. In remembering that which gives us pain she is intrusive; in remembering those which give us pleasure, she is negligent. Sometimes the best remedy for the unpleasant is to forget it, but usually it is the remedy, not the unpleasant fact, which is forgotten. Make memory, then, like a comfortable companion -- because it suffices to give either happiness or unhappiness. The spontaneously happy and satisfied are, of course, exceptions, for in their state of innocence, they enjoy their uncomplicated pleasure.

My interpretation: I've tried to cultivate what I call the "fine art of forgetting" when it comes to things (like old grudges) from which I learn nothing or situations that cause me to experience unpleasantness (like embarrassment.) If something was unpleasant and offers no lesson, then why put myself through it again and again? The dynamic is different from 'forgiveness' which is an active choice to remember but to defuse the memory by removing its emotional impact. Forgiveness, even of people who are no longer in your life, allows you to continue a relationship with someone through memories. By contrast, forgetting is a disconnect, especially from people I will never deal with again, even to express anger.

It can be difficult to forget -- it is an art -- because vicious acts and people can inflict real emotional harm; this raises emotions that are difficult to dismiss: a desire for revenge or justice, pain, even guilt. The tactic that has helped me the most is to realize how profoundly I control the thoughts in my own mind. When I have painful thoughts that hang on and bring no positives with them (such as insight), then I consciously switch to a subject that is either pleasant or neutral. Sometimes I need to throw a conscious 'mental switch' over and over again because the negative thoughts draw me in, rather like rubbing a sore in your mouth with your tongue. But I persist because I agree with Gracian that minimalizing the impact of bad memories is a key to peace of mind. Besides which, controlling the direction of my own mind is a good habit to cultivate.

From Zero Hedge: Blaze Journalist Arrested On 4 Charges Over Jan. 6 Presence At Capitol. "The government appears to be engaged in selective prosecution..." From the Post Millennial: BREAKING: FBI arrests Blaze Media's Steve Baker over J6 reporting. He was previously told to turn himself in over "non-violent misdemeanors." [Ed why now?]:

From the Dogington Post: Dave Portnoy’s Rescue Dog Goes Viral, Uses Platform To Raise Money For An Animal Rescue. [Ed: I knew there was a reason I like this guy! Actually, there are a few reasons.] From AOL: Miss Peaches Hilariously Refuses to Go on a Walk No Matter What Dave Portnoy Does. From YouTube: I Took Miss Peaches Shopping Today. [Ed: for those without Instagram.]

From CNN: Bud Light boycott likely cost Anheuser-Busch InBev over $1 billion in lost sales

Covid. From the Forgotten Side of Medicine: Sen. Johnson's Senate Panel On The Vaccines Is The Red Pill We've All Been Waiting For. ...meticulously breaks down exactly what went awry throughout COVID-19...

From Zero hedge: Details Of 'Sabotaged' Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal In First Months Of War Revealed. 17-page secretive document outlined a "permanently neutral state that doesn’t participate in military blocs"... [Ed: damn Boris Johnson's soul to hell.] AND Biden Wants G7 To Give Russian Central Bank Funds To Ukraine, But France Resists. France: "We don’t think this legal basis is sufficient." From antiwar: How the West Provoked an Unprovoked War in Ukraine. From Moon of Alabama: Ukraine SitRep: Retreat Continues For Lack Of Defense Lines

From Twitchy: Conservatives on Twitter Send a Message to Leftists by Taking Over #WhiteRuralRage Hashtag.. [Ed: White Rural Rage is the latest scare tactic of the Democrats. Actually shows class hatred.]

Social Media. From Hot Air: Google AI Flat Out Lies About Matt Taibbi (And Others). [Ed: hat tip to Brad who comments, At this point, who can trust Google?] From Reason: Texas and Florida Say the First Amendment Must Be Sacrificed to Save It. Supreme Court arguments about two social media laws highlight a dangerous conflation of state and private action.

From the Optimist Daily: New bionic eye could restore sight and even offer night vision

Upcoming US Elections. From the Daily Reckoning: Third-Party Candidates Will Swing The Election. The 2024 election with third-party candidates looks like a blend of all three elections: 1992, 1968 and 1912... [Ed: especially RFK. No wonder he is being denied a security detail by the White House.]

From the Post Millennial: Trudeau’s internet thoughtcrime bill aims to punish people retroactively for not deleting ‘hate speech’. "Retroactive crime!" Jordan Peterson wrote. "That's an evil I hadn't considered before!"

From the Bored Panda: 40 Dogs That Committed Such Wicked Acts, Their Owners Couldn’t Help But “Shame” Them (New Pics). [Ed: some of them are quite funny.]

From Stark Realities: Iran's Jewish Population Belies Claims Of Tehran's Genocidal Intent. Echoing run-up to Iraq invasion, Israel and its allies exaggerate Iran threat. "Iran is home to the Middle East’s second-largest population of Jews, who freely practice their faith, peacefully coexist within the Islamic republic and even have a seat in the legislature."

Trump's Legal Woes. From Zero Hedge: Trump Will Remain On Illinois Ballot Pending Appeal, Virtue-Signaling Judge Clarifies In New Order.

Kerch Strike. From Simplicius the Thinker: Bundeswehr Wiretap Bombshell - German Generals Exposed Planning Kerch Strike. [Ed: a must read. Alleged transcript here. Personally, I think it is real.] From Gilbert Doctorow: German officers plot Taurus missile attack on the Crimea bridge From Zero Hedge: Germany Confirms Leaked Audio Of Its Top Generals Discussing Blowing Up The Crimean Bridge. Smoking gun audio recording deemed authentic...

Transcript released of purported German discussion on attacking Crimean Bridge RT. Kevin W: “Transcript at https://sputnikglobe.com/20240301/full-transcript-of-german-top-military-officials-leaked-plot-to-attack-crimean-bridge-1117078481.html”

From Politico.EU: French farmers block iconic Paris locales with tractors and hay. Some 66 people were detained by police following the protest Friday morning. AND Farmers in yellow hats are turning the heat up on Macron. Is the far right leading them?

From Zero Hedge: Fed-Up San Fran Voters Set To Expand Police Power, Drug-Screen Welfare Recipients. "The pendulum is swinging. It's coming hard-core back to the center."

From the Spectator: Humanity’s Greatest Agent of Peace: In Defense of the Insult. In times of political correctness, the woke barrier has been set far away.

From Pet Buzz: Deaf Man Rescues Deaf Puppy And Teaches Him Sign Language

From Moon of Alabama: Putin's Address To The Federal Assembly.

Gaza. From antiwar: US Vetoes UN Resolution Condemning Israel for Flour Massacre. {Ed: IDF opening fire on crowd gathered around aid trucks.] From BBC: UN says many bullet wounds among Gaza convoy injured. [Ed: this counter the IDF claim that most of the casualties came from a stampede.] From Responsible Statecraft: Neocon Iraq war architects want a redo in Gaza Responsible Statecraft.

From the Epoch Times: IRS To Retrieve Potentially Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars From Americans Who Failed To File Tax Returns. In its latest enforcement action, the IRS is targeting taxpayers with taxable income who failed to file tax returns in order to boost tax collections. [Ed: most of them come to the IRS's attention thru "3rd party information."]

From CBS News: Helium Discovery In Northern Minnesota May Be Biggest Ever In North America "...could be one of the most significant such finds in the world."

From Moonbattery: New York Moves Forward With Government Jobs for Illegals."Gov. Kathy Hochul is moving forward with her plan to retool the Civil Service Commission to put illegal aliens at the head of the line for state jobs."

From Lovely Animals World: Amazing Couple Help Rescue 34 Stray Dogs And Cats While On Vacation

Baltasar Gracian's Aphorism #261: Do not follow up a Folly.

Many make an obligation out of a blunder, and because they have entered the wrong path think it proves their strength of character to go on in it. Within they regret their error, while outwardly they excuse it. At the beginning of their mistake they were regarded as inattentive, in the end as fools. Neither an unconsidered promise nor a mistaken resolution are really binding. Yet some continue in their folly and prefer to be constant fools.

My interpretation: I am prone to this. I would have avoided a great many unpleasant situations if I had taken to heart the advice "Neither an unconsidered promise nor a mistaken resolution are really binding.." I remember being torn by a promise I gave to someone about writing a regular column....without pay, of course. I was complaining about this to none other than Murray Rothbard, who didn't see the problem. "But it is contract," I explained. He replied, "Sweetie, you can always break a contract and take the hit." That;'s what I did. The 'hit', BTW, was being bad mouthed by the publisher of the newsletter.

I reprint below the tribute to Ron Hamowy written by the editor of Liberty magazine editor Stephen Cox. (Ron was part of Murray's inner circle.) I do not like to speak ill of the dead nor to contradict Stephen, who is a great guy, but Ron definitely had a nasty side...brilliant, yes, but with a mean streak a mile wide. The few times we were at events together, I kept my distance and much preferred to socialize with his partner, William.

Ronald Hamowy, R.I.P. by Stephen Cox

Ronald Hamowy, who honored Liberty by becoming one of its Contributing Editors, died at 11:30 a.m. on September 8, in a hospital in Baltimore. The final cause of death was sepsis. Ronald had suffered for years from heart and kidney problems, and he had been hospitalized for several months.

He was one of the libertarian movement’s most important and vital scholars. An historian of the 18th century, he was known for his impeccable standards of research and writing. To discerning researchers of the Enlightenment — left, right, or center — his word was law. If there was a scholarly myth or illusion, he was the one who was trusted to puncture it. He was the person who meticulously set things straight. Many times, when I have mentioned his name in an academic conversation, the reply has been, “Ronald Hamowy! You know him?!”

For libertarians, Ronald will always be recognized as a bright star of the post-World War II generation — but unlike many other grand old men of this or that era, he never became a Grand Old Man. He retained to the end his youthful joy and sense of first discovery. To him, any new fact — or any old movie, viewed on his constant friend, Turner Classics — was a pleasure to be greeted as if it were the first one in the universe. Even when ensconced as chairman of an august intellectual conference, Ronald let his eyes sparkle and his mouth crinkle with laughter, and with some little Count Basie-like verbal gesture he set the whole house laughing with his infectious wit.

Ronald was born in 1937, in Shanghai, China, the scion of a cosmopolitan Jewish family. His father was born in Syria; his beautiful and beloved mother in Egypt. He grew up in New York, where he supported himself with a number of jobs (one of them was running the streets, selling pop records). During his graduate work at the University of Chicago, he co-edited (with Ralph Raico) the New Individualist Review, a lively, beautifully produced libertarian intellectual journal. If you read it today, you will be sure to enjoy every word of it. Liberty — this journal — was consciously modeled on the American Mercury and the New Individualist Review.

For David Boaz's tribute, click here.
For Bryan Caplan's tribute, click here.

From Schiff Gold: Ten Recurring Economic Fallacies, 1774–2004. [Ed: hat tip to Robert who comments, This is really quite good. Explains a lot...]

Covid. From the Epoch Times: COVID-19 And Its Vaccines Linked To Sudden Hearing Loss, Considered An 'Emergency': Doctor. [Ed: I feel like Brad and I dodged a bullet, and I never intend to be 'in shooting range' again.] From the Brownstone Institute: A Global, Digital Coup d'État. How long will it take us to process this reality? We seem to be only at the early stages of understanding, much less resisting... [Ed: a must read.] From the Associated Press: CDC: People With COVID Don't Need to Isolate for 5 Days. The science of the illness is unchanged, but the toll has lessened

From People: 'Frickin' Smart' Dog Runs a Mile to Her Doggy Daycare for Help After Escaping Car Accident

From Krebs on Security: Calendar Meeting Links Used To Spread Mac Malware

Supply Lines. From Zero Hedge: Cocoa Panic? World's Largest Chocolatier Plans 19% Workforce Cut As Prices Hit Record Highs. "It's about reducing complexity ..." From Zero Hedge: "Everything Is Gone": Texas Wildfire Ravages America's Cattle-Mecca. "Another Blow To Our Supply Chain..."

From the Guardian: Despite Warning, Thousands Bid Navalny Farewell. Kremlin says those who attend 'unauthorized gatherings' will be 'held accountable'. From Politico.EU: Alexei Navalny’s funeral: Massive crowds gather as Putin braces for arch-rival’s burial

From CNN: Biden-Trump make dueling border visits as immigration dominates 2024 race. [Ed: Biden wants to partner up with Trump on the border crisis? After his admin has been trying to destroy him legally?] From the Babylon Bee: Biden Arrives At Border To Address His Voters AND Ballot Drop Boxes Installed Along Border Wall.

From Madly Odd: This Poor Labrador Is Terrified of Carpets. How He Overcomes His Fear Is Adorable

Ukraine. From Pepe Escobar: Two Years After The Start Of The SMO, The West Is Totally Paralyzed. [Ed: SMO=Special Military Operations in Ukraine.]

From CNN: Journalist Ordered to Pay $800 a Day Until She Reveals Source. Catherine Herridge is expected to appeal. [Ed: the continued weaponization of the court system.] From Zero hedge: "This Judge Should Be Impeached": Journalist Catherine Herridge Fined $800 Per Day Until She Gives Up Confidential Source. Reminder: journalists are supposed to support any journalist who refuses to give up their source.

From Real Clear Wire: Obama's CIA Asked Foreign Intel Agencies To Spy On Trump Campaign. The implications of this are profound... [Ed: yes. And remember: Biden is Obama's 3rd term in office.] From the Federalist: Meet The Two Groups Behind Plot To Kick Trump Off The Ballot (And He Isn’t The Only Target)

Trump's Legal Woes. From CBS News: Trump's Lawyers File Quick Appeal of Illinois Ruling. Other states' ballot cases already are before the Supreme Court . [Ed: Illinois waited until the ballots were printed to announce Trump's disqualification.]

From Sunny Skyz: Feline Fashion Funnies: Cats In Onesies After Surgery

The Coming U.S. Election. From Zero Hedge: Election Embezzlement: Harris Says Administration To Pay College Students To Register Voters. "Curious how they chose college students and not veterans...” [Ed: what are the odds they're registering only Democrats-leaning students. At tax payer expense, of course.] From the Washington Stand: The Muslim Rebellion Brewing in the Democratic Party.

From the Daily Caller: ‘Democrats Doth Protest Too Much’: Turley Blasts ‘Nonsensical’ Hunter Biden Defense. [Ed: Turley is always worth the read.]

From the Post Millennial: Boston's wealthy elite OUTRAGED over new shelter for illegal immigrants in their neighborhood. Residents of Fort Point in the Seaport couldn't fathom living amongst illegal immigrants in the Democrat-run sanctuary city that they voted for.

From Pomsky Dog: Mama Cries For Help For Her Pup, Puts Complete Trust In The People Who Show Up

Fani and Fulton. From Revolver News: 'DMV' America: The Regime's Fani Willis Problem, And Ours [Ed: DMV=DC, Maryland, and Virginia] From Krebs on Security: Fulton County, Security Experts Call LockBit’s Bluff

Gaza. From the Cradle: ICJ closes final day of West Bank occupation hearings [Ed: Ralph Wilde representing the League of Arab States. Well worth checking out. Video. And transcript.]

From Pepe Escobar: 'A Rocky Road To De-Dollarization' - Pepe Escobar Interviews Sergei Glazyev. From Mish Talk: Sanction Irony: Trade Between Iran And Russia Soars As SWIFT Circumvented. ... more dollar and SWIFT avoidance is in the pipeline... US policy is to blame.

[To access past Gracian aphorism's and my subjective interpretation of them, click here.]

Baltasar Gracian's Aphorism #260: We belong to none and none to us, entirely.

Relationship nor friendship nor the most intimate connection is sufficient to effect this. To give one's whole confidence is quite different from giving one's regard. The closest intimacy has its exceptions, without which the laws of friendship would be broken. The friend always keeps one secret to himself, and even the son always hides something from his father. Some things are kept from one that are revealed to another and vice versa. In this way one reveals all and conceals all, by making a distinction among the persons with whom we are connected.

My interpretation: As close as you are to another person -- a soul-mate spouse or a deeply-loved family member -- never surrender your will and judgment or request the person to surrender them to you. To do so is akin to giving away your soul and becoming another's psychological slave. No one who honestly cares for you would ask that.

As for keeping things secret, yes, I suppose there are 'secrets' I would share with no one because there are details of my life that I wish to be exclusively my own. If they involve no one else, if they harm no one else, I think that's healthy. For example, I might not share some memories from my childhood, I don't share some dreams I have at night or all of my self-doubts. One of the reason I've kept a diary for most of my life is in order to work out the thoughts and questions I'm not ready to discuss, and may never be ready to do so. At some point, you draw a line and say "this is me, this is self, this is mine alone."

As for becoming increasingly reserved as you move away from the center of your relationships (the people you most trust) out toward the periphery...I know the best role some people can play in my life is as friendly acquaintances with whom I deal occasionally and never discuss anything personal. Other people function best as phone friends with whom I catch up every few months; still others are people whose faces I want to see every day while I'm telling them how I feel about life...and so on. This is an emotional or psychological parallel of the intellectual discretion that Gracian suggests you exercise with people who occupy different roles in your life. Be appropriate.