Spectacles: How did Companies get Bigger than Countries?

 I found this video on Sunday, and before that I saw the collab with Mr. Beat. Well both videos are actually collabs, however, the Mr. Beat video will be shared here at a later time.

[VIDEO] The above video (duration 32 mins.) from the YouTube channel Spectacles talks about the parallels between the 1890s to the 2020s. The comparison between the business trusts of the late 19th to early 20th century to the multinational corporations of today.

When we talk about trusts think about for example Standard Oil - owned by John D. Rockefeller - which owned pretroleum production. That's not the only company or sector we need to be concerned about in this discussion, however, for the United States in the 19th & 20th century it's when a company or an industry grows larger than a state gov't and the federal gov't is enjoined from regulating large business interests.

In the 21st century, corporations are beginning to become bigger than national gov'ts. If one wants to regulate these corporations they have the option to moving to a more favorable environment.

And another issue that's being argued here in both time periods, the inequities become pronounced for workers & consumers.

Mr. Beat: Yes, We're in the Seventh Party System

 Wow, I haven't posted here since November 2025. It's not January 2025.

I wanted to share this video from Mr. Beat talking about the potentially 7 party systems. We're living in the 7th party system which started with the 2016 race and the election of Donald Trump.

The six other party systems or political eras are established based on the issues of the day and the shifting positions of the major parties. And even then the actually parties sometimes haven't always been consistent. 

Check it out [VIDEO]

No more penny...

 The time has come. The penny has been retired and production has ceased at the US Mint. The penny costs a lot to produce in recent years thanks to inflation so that helped with the decision of the Trump administration to end the production of the penny.

Here's an IG post on it.

Community meeting: Former Shedd Elementary School - TONIGHT

Cross-posted from Ninth Ward Chicago

Just saw this today via Concerned Citizens of Chatham. How many you already know about this? This meeting is with regards to the shuttered Shedd School property.

This meeting is happening tonight at Harlan Community Academy High School - 9652 S. Michigan between 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

 

How to make a 100% home grown bread

 I've subscribed to Shawn Woods on YouTube for many years now. He has identified as something of a survivalist and lives in a rural part of Oregon - which explains how he harvested salt from the Pacific Ocean.

Either way I see this project of producing his own bread with his own wheat and his own salt is a fascinating project to share on here. His point with this exercise is to show us how easy it is to produce your own bread and making it with your own ingredients. 

You don't have to go to the store!

Alas there isn't a body of saltwater near Chicago. And I don't know too many people who harvest wheat in their backyard in a major metropolitan area. And of course to further harvest wheat to produce flower that seems like a time consuming process although resources are available to make that work.

Would you be willing to experiment with this process? [VIDEO]

Steven Bartlett: Why We'll Never Go To Mars & The Terrifying Truth Of Black Holes

 I know politics have been the focus of this blog as of late, however, sometimes it's OK to delve into science. Lately space or the universe has been a topic of interest for me. 

I really like this discussion between physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, PhD and podcaster Steven Bartlett. [VIDEO]

Somehow I missed the pivot from going to Mars to them talking about Black Holes.

Black Holes seem terrifying if you get caught in one, especially when you reach a point where escape isn't possible then you get the spaghettification effect. You get stretched out, I imagine that as painful, however, we're not going to find out about that anytime soon.

Though of course if Dr. Tyson tells it we might be fine at a certain distance it's not like it'll just suck everything in. And it's interesting how he talks about Black Holes - one can be created if a star wants to explode, however, gravity keeps that from happening.

And also Mars. Elon Musk wants to go to Mars, he's talked about it. Of course what's the economic incentive? Trillions of dollars to make this a reality?

And how did we wind up on the moon by 1969, well more of a geopolitical incentive. Certainly the United States of America had to show the technical superiority to our superpower rivals the Soviet Union. The U.S. has rivals of course in the current world, but there's no Soviet Union - Russia still hasn't matched the power and influence of the superpower it ultimately replaced.

However as the title postulates, "We'll never go to Mars", I hope we do in my lifetime. Besides I just missed the Apollo missions of the late 1960s to earlyer 70s that did land on the moon.

Secretary Hegseth's 'TedTalk'

Yesterday was a big day, there was news in the press that the Secretary of Defense War Pete Hegseth had called all US flag officers - Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, Generals & Admirals - to a meeting at Quantico which is a Marine Base in Virginia.

I'm sure his 45 minute speech to these Generals & Admirals was very jarring, but I wonder if it's appreciated that he's setting a new direction for the armed services. He's right about the military, they are in the business of life and death and anyone who's in the service needs to act accordingly. He definitely emphasize the importance of physical fitness of all servicemembers.

He also emphasizes the meritocracy and no more D.E.I. initiatives. Secretary of War Hegseth wants to insure that no one will get promoted based on their race and gender or some other characteristic. What matters most is how they perform in their roles.

If I wasn't already over the age limit I'd sign up right now just to see if I could make it with these new rigid standards.

Here's his speech. Reminds me of a TedTalk. [VIDEO]

A lot of people who analyzed Secretary Hegseth's speech sort of compared it to the opening scene of Patton with the flag in the background and Patton played by George C. Scott giving his own speech. That would be a very iconic scene that many evoked here.

Also note that Patton is one of the historic generals that the Secretary of War noted in his speech. Some military analysts have noted we no longer have that swashbuckling generals that get the job done these days. Patton was one, MacArthur, Grant, and there are others surely.

Anyone have any thoughts on this. Any currently service military personnel or even veterans have any thoughts on this?