Huge thanks to my February sponsor, John Rember, author of the three-book series Journal of the Plague Years, a psychic survival guide for humanity’s looming date with destiny, shaped by his experiences living through the pandemic in his native Idaho. Thoughtful, wry and humane, Journal 1 is a pleasure.
“Chronic ocean heating fuels ‘staggering’ loss of marine life, study finds.
“Chronic ocean heating is fuelling a “staggering and deeply concerning” loss of marine life, a study has found, with fish levels falling by 7.2% from as little as 0.1C of warming per decade… “To put it simply, the faster the ocean floor warms, the faster we lose fish,” said Shahar Chaikin, a marine ecologist…”
“Breaking News! Code Yikes!
“In case you haven’t been paying attention, global sea-surface temperatures have been spiking for the last week and may soon set a new all-time record. Massively overheated oceans are not healthy for children and other living things.” [Prof Eliot Jacobson]
https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2026362449499468173
“Last monthly clearly set a new record high temperature (by almost 2°C) for the month of January across my Greenland regional sector of the Arctic.”
[Zack Labe]
https://bsky.app/profile/zacklabe.com/post/3mfonucpmi22r
“Northern Ireland’s farmers warned on mineral loss after ‘wettest start in nearly 150 years’.
“With soils still saturated across many parts of Northern Ireland, advisers have warned that mineral leaching and reduced plant uptake could pose challenges at turnout… prolonged waterlogging can significantly affect a soil’s trace element availability.”
“Hottest 25 February on record as Brussels basks in unseasonably warm temperatures [also monthly Feb records at Antwerp and Maastricht].
“The highest temperature ever recorded for 25 February was measured this Wednesday in Uccle, reaching 18.9°C at 14:00… The temperature is expected to rise slightly further in the coming hours, which will confirm the exact new record for this date.”
“294 French communes classified as natural disaster zones following flooding…
“Hundreds of communes affected by flooding have been fast-tracked onto the natural disaster (catastrophe naturelle) list in France, allowing insurance claims processes to begin. In total, 294 communes have been added to the list, with a further 77 to be examined in the coming weeks.”
“After nearly 40 consecutive days of rain, France has been experiencing an exceptional heat wave since Tuesday, breaking records for the month of February, according to Météo France…
“In Biarritz, the temperature climbed to 27°C, 14°C above normal, and in Orthez, the mercury even rose to 28.3°C. Temperatures are expected to rise further in the coming days.”
https://fr.euronews.com/2026/02/25/apres-la-pluie-la-chaleur-lhiver-de-tous-les-records-en-france
“Up to 59 forest fires in 24 hours in Cantabria [NE Spain].
“Cantabria has recorded 59 forest fires in 24 hours and continues to battle 35 blazes this Wednesday afternoon, of which 21 are still active and 14 are under control, mostly in the Pas i Miera districts. The most affected municipality is Vega de Pas, with seven active fires.”
https://en.ara.cat/society/up-to-59-forest-fires-in-24-hours-in-cantabria_25_5659694.html
“Global warming intensified a series of torrential rainstorms that battered Spain and Portugal in recent weeks, new research has found.
“Nine destructive winter storms hit the Iberian Peninsula with extensive flooding between mid-January and mid-February, killing six people in Portugal, forcing the evacuation of more than 12,000 people in Spain and leaving a trail of devastation across both countries.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/climate-change-iberian-peninsula-destructive-storms/
“Severe flooding along the Evros River has placed the Evros region of Greece into a state of emergency, as rising waters continue to threaten homes, farmland, and critical infrastructure.
“During a visit to the affected border region, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a €30 million ($35 million) package to restore damaged infrastructure and accelerate recovery efforts.”
https://greekreporter.com/2026/02/25/greece-evros-devastating-floods-restore-thrity-five-million/
“Congo basin blackwater lakes are releasing ancient carbon into the atmosphere…
“Previously, scientists believed that carbon stored in Congo Basin peat remained locked away for extremely long periods and would only be released under specific conditions such as extended drought.”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260224023201.htm
“Egypt denies claims of allowing Ethiopia Red Sea access for Nile dam concessions.
“Egypt on Tuesday evening denied reports claiming it was prepared to grant Ethiopia maritime access to the Red Sea in return for flexibility from Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a long-running source of tension between the two countries.”
“Saving the Aral Sea Demands Central Asia Work Together.
“The Aral Sea – once the fourth largest lake in the world – is rapidly shrinking. To preserve what remains, and ideally significantly restore parts of it, regional cooperation among Central Asian states is crucial.”
https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/saving-the-aral-sea-demands-central-asia-work-together/
“ENDLESS RECORD HEAT IN CHINA:
“Another record day with temperature up to 22C [71.6F] in Taklamakan Desert. Still abnormally warm in Central Asia >26C in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and warmer tomorrow. Many more records expected from the Caspian Sea all the way to Japan.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2026276326663934216
“Weather stations in southern Xinjiang [NW China] have broken records for six consecutive days!
“Today, 10 stations broke their February warmest records, and 1 station Tmin broke its February warmest record. Temperatures in eastern China will rise sharply again tomorrow.”
https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/2026291824923701724
“Sudden rains in Telangana destroy crops, leave farmers in despair [S India]…
“Of the many visuals that have surfaced is a heart-rending video of an elderly farmer couple – Banoth Anki and Laxma Naik – from Mahabubabad district, trying hard to dry their soaked crops with their bare hands.”
https://www.siasat.com/sudden-rains-in-telangana-destroy-crops-leave-farmers-in-despair-3374966/amp/
“In Nepal polls, political parties root for mega infrastructure…
“Despite Nepal ranking as the sixth most climate-vulnerable nation globally, parties largely treat environmental issues as an afterthought or a development delay, often ignoring the fact that recent climate-driven disasters have already severely damaged expensive infrastructure…”
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/in-nepal-polls-political-parties-root-for-mega-infrastructure/
“RECORD WINTER WARMTH IN JAPAN:
“6th consecutive day >25C; 142 records broken and more on the way. Unprecedented. Latest monthly records: HIGH MAX: 24.4 [75.9F] Kahoku, 16.4 Nagataki Falls, 13.0 Mumaya, HIGH MINS: 12.8 Kuwana, 12.0 Tajimi, 11.9 Obata, 7.4 Iijima, 5.8 Numata.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2026901314530324619
“Record low rainfall triggers forest fire, dries up river in Japan.
“An anomaly has occurred in rivers in Tokyo. Namiki Moka, NTV Reporter / You can see the riverbed of the Asakawa River. It’s turned whitish overall and you can’t see water flowing. People were walking in the Asakawa River, a river where water usually flows. The river has dried up due to low rainfall.”
https://www.ntv.co.jp/englishnews/articles/2021tutf95l03ih1u2a0.html
“BNPB Records a Series of Floods and Extreme Weather in Several Areas, Hundreds of KK Affected [Java].
“The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) recorded a number of disaster incidents in the last 24 hours until 07.00 WIB. Wet hydrometeorological disasters such as floods and the impact of extreme weather still dominate in various regions.”
“Red alert in Indonesia’s Bali as torrential rains trigger floods and landslides.
“Days of intense rainfall have unleashed widespread flooding and landslides across the Indonesian island of Bali, disrupting life in residential neighbourhoods and popular tourist destinations, local media reported on Wednesday.”
https://www.trtworld.com/article/56c65ef43f27
“North-east SA and far-west NSW have received a welcome drenching, with rainfall smashing decade-long records [Australia].
“The Bureau of Meteorology recorded 90mm at Tibooburra in NSW, but nearby property owners say their own gauges measured over 200mm.”
“Carnarvon banana supply hit for 18 months after heatwave and cyclone.
“Banana growers in Carnarvon, Western Australia, are assessing damage following a January heatwave and a February cyclone, with some estimating it may take 12 to 18 months for stock levels to return to normal.”
“Penguins dying as Antarctic ice melts too early…
“…satellite images show that the melting sea ice has forced the penguins into smaller, tightly packed groups and that between 2022 and 2024 the ice broke up before they had finished moulting. Scientists fear that it may explain why the number of moulting colonies fell from more than 100 to just 25 after 2022.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/25/penguins-dying-as-antarctic-ice-melts-too-early/
“Rain is coming to Antarctica – here’s how it will change the frozen continent…
“Extreme weather is already causing disruption. A heatwave in February 2020 brought temperatures of 18.6°C to the northern peninsula – T-shirt weather, for almost the first time in recorded Antarctic history – while the “ice shelf” surface alongside melted at a record pace.”
“Uruguay declares drought, avian flu emergencies.
“Uruguay declared an agricultural emergency due to water shortages in productive areas. It also activated a health emergency over H5 avian influenza after the virus was found in wildlife. The dual crisis is pressuring a key export sector.”
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/02/25/latam-uruguay-drought-avian-flu/7381772045849/
“Floods ravage southeastern Brazil and kill 46 as rescuers race to find the missing…
“The streets of Juiz de Fora, a city of 560,000, were covered in mud as authorities feared more landslides. Life in neighboring Uba, with its 107,000 residents, came to a stop. Classes were suspended in both cities, their mayors said.”
https://apnews.com/article/brazil-floods-minas-gerais-rains-12c2911996714b10d45920cbe03c387d
“Harrowing moment dozens of coffins are washed away during deadly flash floods after spate of storms [Brazil]…
“Footage shows caskets drifting through waterlogged streets after a funeral home was breached by the raging waters. The person behind the camera can be heard shouting “My god!” as the coffins rush past, swept along by the fast-moving, muddy floodwaters.”
“Peru declares a state of emergency for hundreds of districts after severe rains and flooding.
“Peru declared a state of emergency on Wednesday for nearly half the country’s districts following severe rainfall, landslides and flooding triggered by rising ocean temperatures, which authorities link to the El Nino Costero, or coastal El Nino, climate phenomenon.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/peru-lima-el-nino-president-pacific-b2927608.html
“Sargassum Buildup Grows on Costa Rica Northern Caribbean Coast…
“Reports have been received from the Border Police post in Portillos, the town of Tortuguero and along the coastline of Tortuguero National Park. According to preliminary records, this may represent one of the largest accumulations recently reported in the northern Caribbean region.”
https://ticotimes.net/2026/02/25/sargassum-buildup-grows-on-costa-rica-northern-caribbean-coast
“RECORD HEAT AGAIN IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS:
“Years of never ending record heat in the Caribbean; 31,7C/89F today at Charlotte Amalie, US VIRGIN ISLANDS HOTTEST FEBRUARY DAY ON RECORD after breaking that of January and all months of 2024 and 2025 multiple times each one. Crazy.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2026727920052441488
“Cap-Haïtien tries to bounce back after heavy rains flood downtown, disrupt city life [Haiti].
“Rain has been falling intermittently in Haiti’s second-largest city since Feb. 24, leaving several downtown streets flooded. Trash usually piled high along the roadways mixed with standing water, slowing traffic and pedestrian movement.”
“Melissa Officially At The Top Of Strongest Atlantic Hurricane List.
“The final report released by the National Hurricane Center this week confirmed something that many of us suspected. Hurricane Melissa (2025) is now tied for the strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record.”
“Florida’s Alligator Alley shut down due to smoke from 24,000-acre wildfire.
“A large wildfire burning in the western Everglades has created smokey conditions, prompting officials to close down a stretch of Interstate 75 known as Alligator Alley. The Florida Highway Patrol said, around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, troopers were in the process of shutting down the interstate…”
“A hotter, wetter South is becoming a breeding ground for mold.
“Regina is haunted by the specter of mold. She found the insidious spores in the closet, behind the refrigerator, and around the bathtub for two years after the dishwasher flooded her apartment in Asheville, North Carolina.”
https://grist.org/health/in-a-hotter-wetter-south-theres-a-health-crisis-spreading-inside-the-walls/
“HISTORIC WINTER HEAT; Dozens of records in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico:
“AZ – 98F Martinez Lake is HOTTEST WINTER DAY EVER IN ARIZONA; 96 Laguna TX; 97 Dryden; NM: 88 Hobbs; 83 Truth or Consequence; TX 97 Borrego Springs; 38.5c/101f Hermosillo.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2026836369230934262
“Deadly bird flu found in California elephant seals for the first time.
“H5N1 bird flu confirmed in California elephant seals for the first time, bringing the same virus that killed more than 17,000 in South America. Virus detected in seven weaned pups at Ano Nuevo State Park; some animals have succumbed…”
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2026-02-25/h5n1-bird-flu-presumed-in-california-elephant-seals
“Shrinking cold-water habitat means more whales get caught in nets, research finds…
“The findings, based on research conducted off the U.S. West Coast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Climate, show shrinking cold-water habitat is a bigger driver of entanglement risk than increasing numbers of humpbacks, the researchers said.”
“Idaho is in a severe snow drought, experts say…
“Record-high winter temperatures have been paired with “significant precipitation,” according to David Hoekema, a hydrologist with the Idaho Department of Water Resources,. So far this season, the Gem State has seen unexpectedly large amounts of rain and unseasonably low snowfall.”
https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/weather-news/article314807448.html
“Canada’s creeping snow drought could become a water security risk…
“While many northern and eastern regions show overall increases in snow water availability, significant and insignificant losses are emerging in critical western and southern regions, particularly mountainous headwaters that supply major downstream river systems.”
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/25/opinion/canada-climate-change-snow-drought
“After remnants of Typhoon Halong wrecked their homes, villagers consider relocation [Alaska].
“Four months after the remnants of a tropical typhoon wrecked communities in Western Alaska, hundreds of people who were displaced are considering abandoning their village altogether… The tribal leaders have picked out two potential relocation sites, both at least 40 feet above sea level…”
“Tropical flowers are blooming weeks later than they used to through climate change.
“Climate change has caused some tropical plants to flower earlier or later than they used to; in some cases by a matter of weeks or even months, according to a study of 8,000 flowers across more than two centuries…”
https://phys.org/news/2026-02-tropical-blooming-weeks-climate.html
“Extreme weather is transforming the world’s rivers…
“Around the world, rivers are no longer changing gradually. Rather, they are being increasingly transformed by extreme climatic events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves. Our newly published global review finds these events are pushing ecosystems beyond their limits and eroding biodiversity and core functions.”
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You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
>>> Chronic ocean heating fuels ‘staggering’ loss of marine life
>>> global sea-surface temperatures have been spiking
The first two entries are a scary pair. Here’s the tool used in the second link:
https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/sst_daily/?dm_id=world2
One word – “stratification!”
George, you’ve been very consistent on that theme. It’s certainly part of the equation.
“In 2023, sea surface temperatures reached record highs… the global non-polar ocean absorbed about 10% less CO2 than expected… The mixed layer depth simulated by the Global Ocean Biogeochemical Models [in the subtropical North Atlantic] was anomalously shallow in 2023, suggesting increased stratification.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02380-4
Art Berman’s latest blog is pretty good. It seems pretty evident that maintaining organised structures against the pull of entropy requires a strong energy gradient, but I don’t really understand the detailed mathematics and thermodynamics of it. Systems settle out at the lowest energy configuration they can reach, and somehow that gets to be stable at, for example, a human body or complex civilisation if there is enough energy flowing through them – but how. There was a book called “The Ghost in the Machine” about the near equilibrium processes in biology that seemed to touch on such matters. It all seemed clear as I read it but at the end I realised I really wasn’t much the wiser.
https://www.artberman.com/blog/the-end-of-certainty/
Thank you, George, that was mind bending read and by chance had this appear that complements the concepts presented in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNNdCOuj7HA
This $750M Tower Is Still Leaning and Sinking — And No One Can Stop It
San Francisco’s Millennium Tower sold luxury—then began sinking and leaning. We break down the soil layers, the friction-pile foundation decision, the warning signs residents noticed, and the high-stakes retrofit that drilled new piles to bedrock to slow the movement
Explore the initial foundation design choices and the complex engineering challenges of stabilizing an occupied building. Discover the innovative, costly solution employed and its impact on residents and property values.
Models, assumptions and $$$… unexpected…
Vince, I’ll one up you there:
“How 900 feet of rusty metal overtook Millennium Tower as the biggest metaphor for San Francisco. Nobody wanted to buy the Port of San Francisco’s dilapidated, derelict dry docks. So it’s budgeting $61M to demolish them — lest they sink and triple the cost.”
https://missionlocal.org/2026/02/port-of-san-francisco-dry-dock-pier-68-70/
Wabi Sabi
Think of it as palliative care for elderly infrastructure: The steep upfront costs are merely a bridge payment to ensure the dry docks last long enough to be demolished later — in an orderly fashion, rather than simply falling apart.
If the dry docks were to sink, the port estimates the price tag could triple or even quadruple. It would also unleash an environmental disaster.
If the docks sink to the bottom of the bay, this will necessitate an expensive reclamation and release fuel into the water.
Rust never sleeps, thanks Pan..something for me to look forward to
That’s a great piece by Art B. He covers a lot of ground. I remember it was writer/philosopher, Robert Pirsig’s book “Lila” that first introduced me to the idea of thermodynamics and organised structures:
“The second law of Thermodynamics states that all energy systems “run-down” like a clock and never rewind themselves. But life not only “runs-up”, converting low-energy sea-water, sunlight and air into high-energy chemicals, it keeps multiplying itself into more and better clocks that keep “running up” faster and faster.
“If we leave a chemistry professor out on a rock in the sun long enough the forces of nature will convert him into simple compounds. Why, for example, should a group of simple, stable compounds of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen struggle for billions of years to organize themselves into a professor of chemistry? What s the motive?”
Art also talks about the direction of time. This is a metaphysical take on it from Alan Watts:
“We must abandon completely the notion of blaming the past for any kind of situation we’re in. Reverse our thinking and see that the past always flows back from the present. That now is the creative point of life.
“So you see it’s like the idea of forgiving somebody—you change the meaning of the past by doing that. Also watch the flow of music – the melody as it’s expressed is changed by notes that come later. Just as the meaning of a sentence, you wait till later to find out what the sentence means. The present is always changing the past.”
Pan, this reminds me of my collection of singing bowels
singing bowels philosophy
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AI Overview
Tibetan Singing Bowl Training: Learn Sound Healing …
Singing bowls are rooted in ancient Tibetan and Buddhist traditions, operating on the philosophy that sound vibrations can heal, harmonize the body’s energy centers (chakras), and promote deep meditation. They are used to calm the mind, reduce stress, and foster a connection between the physical, emotional, and spiritual self, serving as a focal point for mindfulness.
National Institutes of Health (.gov)
National Institutes of Health (.gov)
+2
Key Philosophical Aspects
Vibrational Healing and Harmony: The core belief is that the sound and vibrations produced by the bowls interact with the body’s energy field, helping to balance the chakras and restore internal harmony.
Mindfulness and Presence: The resonating, long-lasting tones are used to silence mental chatter and anchor attention to the present moment, aiding in meditation.
Symbolism of Unity: Often made from a blend of seven metals, singing bowls represent the harmonious coexistence of different elements and symbolize unity in diversity.
Holistic Well-being: The practice, known as sound healing or sound massage, treats the individual holistically, promoting physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Brainwave Entrainment: The soothing sounds are believed to induce deep relaxation by guiding the brain toward calmer, meditative states, reducing stress and anxiety.
National Institutes of Health (.gov)
My head is still spinning.
Call the exorcist!
Right. 😂
Apparently, making that film was, well, a horror show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWmfsqxfmU
The hydrologics of man and water… worlds apart
Water flows without ideology. Humans steer with plans, policy notes, and economic priorities.
That is where the difference begins. In nature, hydrology is simple: rain falls, rivers feed basins, evaporation closes the cycle. A lake exists as long as inflow exceeds losses. No debate, no committee, no policy framework.
Humans introduce a second hydrology: the allocation of water. Canals, dams, irrigation, industry, cities. Water is no longer a flow, but a decision.
The Aral Sea is the clearest example of this. It did not dry up because of climate alone, but because rivers were reassigned. The Amu Darya and the Syr Darya continued to flow, just no longer toward the sea. Hydrologically, the water did not disappear — it changed destination. That is the hydrologics of man: water no longer follows gravity, but economic logic.
And then the paradox emerges. First a basin is drained for production.
Then policies are written to restore the basin. Water must be “brought back” even though it never physically vanished, but was structurally diverted.
Thus arises a maintenance hydrology: dams, pumps, international funds, restoration programs, diplomatic summits. Not to let nature function, but to stabilize an artificial equilibrium in a system that continues to extract water structurally. Nature operates in cycles. Humans create water regimes.
And here lies the deeper rupture: natural hydrology is cyclical and slow, while human hydrology is linear and extractive. A river becomes a production channel, a delta a policy problem, a lake a project file. Even restoration, when it succeeds, follows the same logic as destruction: infrastructure, financing, planning, control. More technology to correct earlier technology. More coordination to compensate for earlier allocation. Meanwhile, the physical law remains unchanged: a terminal basin only receives what is left.
Thus we live in two water worlds at once. Water “thinks” in flows and balances.
Humans think in use, utility, and distribution. And precisely in that difference arise the empty seas, the sinking deltas, and the endless policy papers on restoring what was once self-evident.
Zip, your post was well received in my mind, bringing back the time of Scott Nearing and his own relationship with”water”
Key aspects of Scott Nearing’s approach to water and building a pond included:
Hand Excavation: True to his philosophy of limiting machine use and doing work himself, Nearing built his ponds largely by hand. In one instance, he set a goal of digging 10 wheelbarrow-fulls of soil per day to gradually enlarge a pond.
Gradual Development: Instead of creating a pond overnight, the Nearings spent over 25 years expanding and deepening their pond in Harborside, Maine.
Water Management: They viewed the pond as a vital part of the homestead, providing water for the garden, the house, and as a “sparkling universe teeming with life”.
Integration with Landscape: Rather than forcing a artificial structure onto the land, Nearing typically utilized natural depressions, such as an old fence row, to create a pond that blended with the environment.
Balancing Work and Leisure: While Scott laboriously dug the pond, Helen described this in her memoirs as a, perhaps ironic, contrast to her own, more leisure-oriented tasks like playing the violin, emphasizing the couple’s balance of labor and life.
Mother Earth News
I do not not his thoughts at hand about the nature of water, but it echos to what you wrote
“The Amu Darya and the Syr Darya continued to flow, just no longer toward the sea.”
Zip, the Soviet Union had a dismal environmental record. Within the Aral Sea was an island used for testing biological weapons: “During the Cold War, Vozrozhdeniya Island was a top-secret testing ground for deadly Soviet super-pathogens. Despite over two decades of abandonment, their legacy lives on.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20170926-the-deadly-germ-warfare-island-abandoned-by-the-soviets
“I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.” [Elwyn Brooks White]
Here we go again with words that i hate from the news. Snow drought right and whats causing the drop or little to no snow pack you notice they don’t go into those details either. Many systems in play here the warmer oceans to the melting arctic which is producing more rain and less actual snow pack which we use for our water infrastructure. Once again the American public is science illiterate. I believe Carl sagan did a part on this about how as technology advances and if you don’t understand how things work you can’t question the bs coming out. Right now there is alot of bs coming out from silcon valley and some of there fixes with new technology that doesn’t fix anything.
>>> Once again the American public is science illiterate.
Thank Heather, it’s not just science illiteracy:
The US ranks 36th in literacy.
21% of adults in the US are illiterate in 2024.
54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below 5th-grade level).
Low levels of literacy costs the US up to 2.2 trillion per year.
34% of adults
lacking literacy proficiency were born outside the US.
Massachusetts was the state with the highest rate of child literacy.
New Mexico was the state with the lowest child literacy rate.
The state with the lowest adult literacy rate was California.
https://tinyurl.com/yc4d2r26
USA = United States of Amnesia .— Gore Vidal
Literacy facing challenges on this side of the pond, too. This is such a shame; there’s no pleasure like sinking into a good book:
“Fewer than one in 10 boys aged 14 to 16 in the UK read daily, according to research, which found reading for pleasure was being crowded out of teenage lives by schoolwork, screens and sports.”
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/feb/22/teenage-boys-reading-books-research
We don’t need them those f***ing books .🤣
The world is nuts ;
We have
1. Virtual friends ( I don’t talk with my brother and sister )
2. Virtual sex
3. Virtual reality
4. Virtual money
5. Virtual games
6. Virtual pets ( remember Tamaguchi)
7. Virtual lessons
I can’t wait for the real world to hit these morons and bury them in a virtual coffin .
Collective madness is called sanity today . Adios Amigos .
For the first time in modern recorded history, Generation Z (born roughly 1997–2012) shows lower performance than previous generations in key cognitive domains, including attention, memory, literacy, numeracy, executive function, problem-solving, and general IQ—despite spending more years in formal education than ever before.
Horvath attributes the primary driver not to reduced schooling, but to the widespread integration of digital screens and educational technology (EdTech) in classrooms. He argues that human brains evolved for deep, focused learning through face-to-face interaction and sustained attention, not fragmented skimming or constant task-switching encouraged by devices.
Morons .
https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2022337119960600767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2022337119960600767%7Ctwgr%5Ea1b58443fc2bff3926e6a749e01068a93520c37e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theautomaticearth.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fdebt-rattle-february-15-2026%2F
I’ve watched IT roll out over the decades and I’m disgusted; always over promising on the sales presentation, always under delivering when up to bat, always like talking to someone who thinks I went to school studying the same stupid IT shit they did for four fucking years. I’ve never met a cohort outside of a prison that consistently scores so low for emotional intelligence, empathy, social competence, adaptability and perspective taking. Is the weakest link on the team every time.
” It puzzles me that the rest of the world has treated the run-up to this second phase of the war as a non-event. Although the vast build-up of U.S. military forces has been covered in the media, other stories concerning the U.S. Supreme Court overturning tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and the ongoing fallout from the Epstein files are covered with equal if not greater weight. The financial markets have been barely roiled except for a relatively small uptick in oil prices. ”
Some answers from Kurt Cobb . Kurt is an old timer . Unfortunately not so well followed .
https://resourceinsights.blogspot.com/2026/02/wars-and-rumors-of-wars-iran-edition.html#more
Thanks, Ravi. I remember Kurt fondly. “We should not be surprised to see events unfold as they would in a Hollywood movie.” Sage advice for the the 2020’s!
US and Iran are still talking, at least. Let’s see what happens in Vienna.
As usual, Overshoot forces are continuously building up for the coming onslaught of Collapse in everything from high finance to CC, resource depletion, pollution, and ecospheric decimation.
As Flippr has outlined in his posting above about the illiterate, and the even greater magnitudinal headcount of the dead-meat brain-mass of the Uncaring & the Psychotically Ruthless, as they are exponentially “putting the pedal to the metal” to achieve terminal launch speed for all of us off the Seneca Cliff.
It will be bad enough with Social Security drastically cutting funding to senior retirees in the immediate future, combined with the banks probably halting all credit cards since nobody will have the income to pay off their debts plus the extortionate interest anyway. But the banks will probably be going bankrupt again as they usually did in the past financial disasters.
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Trump vows, ‘We will always protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid,’ but his signature tax cuts shortened their life span
…The CBO estimates that the Social Security trust fund will run out of money even sooner, by fiscal year 2032, which begins in October 2031. If Congress fails to intervene before this insolvency date, benefits would be strictly limited to incoming revenue. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that a typical couple turning 60 today would face a devastating $18,400 annual cut to their retirement benefits when the fund runs dry.
…lawmakers may be tempted to simply finance the shortfalls with more national debt rather than making tough political choices to hike taxes or reduce benefits. However, economists warn this could spark a severe financial crisis…
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-vows-always-protect-social-040159938.html
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ME: But wait! There’s even MORE…
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The Federal Reserve faces impossible math as gold signals approaching debt wall
…The U.S. national debt currently sits above $38.5 trillion. Concurrently, the Congressional Budget Office projects net interest payments on the national debt will more than double to $2.1 trillion by 2036. Oliver stated that the true debt burden, when factoring in the net present value of unfunded liabilities like Medicare and Social Security, is significantly higher. He believes this level of debt is mathematically impossible to repay under current dollar valuations.
“What happens after the end of every great credit bubble is that prices collapse,” Oliver said. “What happens instead is that the gold price in dollars has to go up to make the valuations of assets make sense.”
…As faith in paper financial instruments wanes due to these macroeconomic pressures, the physical metals market is experiencing structural changes. Oliver observed that industrial silver demand is tightening as manufacturers abandon standard inventory models. Fearing supply chain disruptions, he noted that companies are hoarding physical silver directly at their factories, draining available inventory from the market.
Simultaneously, Oliver highlighted that nervous banks are tightening margin requirements on smelters and refiners. He stated this forces these entities to process less physical metal, acting as a choke point that restricts the flow of gold into the retail and institutional markets.
…”Gold has to go to a price that rebalances the Fed’s balance sheet, and $8,000 currently gets you to about a third, $12,000 gets you around a half,” Oliver said.
https://www.kitco.com/news/article/2026-02-26/federal-reserve-faces-impossible-math-gold-signals-approaching-debt-wall
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ME: See the video in the link above, if you can spare the time.
As usual: At a minimum, get some small ounces of PMs–> it could save your life! If you can save enough to have a gold-backed ETF, good for you!
In the final analysis, always Remember: If you can’t hold it, you don’t own it!
Bob Shaw Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
Oh 😱 no, this looks very concerning..
Ancient Killer Is Rapidly Gaining Resistance to Antibiotics, Scientists Warn
Health26 February 2026 ByCarly Cassella
https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-killer-is-rapidly-gaining-resistance-to-antibiotics-scientists-warn
XDR Typhi is not only impervious to frontline antibiotics, like ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, but it is also growing resistant to newer antibiotics, like fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins.
Even worse, these strains are spreading globally at a rapid rate.
While most XDR Typhi cases stem from South Asia, researchers have identified nearly 200 instances of international spread since 1990.
Most strains have been exported to Southeast Asia, as well as East and Southern Africa, but typhoid superbugs have also been found in the UK, the US, and Canada.
“The speed at which highly resistant strains of S. Typhi have emerged and spread in recent years is a real cause for concern, and highlights the need to urgently expand prevention measures, particularly in countries at greatest risk,” said Stanford University infectious disease researcher Jason Andrews when the results were published.
“If untreated, up to 20 percent of typhoid cases can be fatal, and in 2024, there were over 13 million cases of typhoid reported.”
Antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s leading causes of death, claiming the lives of more people than HIV/ AIDS or malaria. Where available, vaccines are among the best tools we have to prevent future catastrophes.
Only the strong and lucky survive…enjoy your today
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/26/ai-nuclear-weapons-war-pentagon-scenarios
AI really likes using nuclear weapons in simulated war scenarios
Some of the biggest AI models aren’t shy about using nuclear weapons to settle disputes in simulated war scenarios, a new academic study finds.
Why it matters: Militaries are already using AI for decision support — and research suggests those systems may lean into rapid escalation under pressure.
What they’re saying: “No one is giving a chatbot the keys to missile silos,” the study’s author, Kenneth Payne at King’s College London, tells Axios.
…Driving the news: The new study found that ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini all appeared willing to use nuclear weaponry without reservations in several scenarios.
All of the models deployed tactical nuclear weapons repeatedly in nearly all simulations, which included border skirmishes, resource competition and threats to survival.
Claude was the most successful model, with a 67% win rate.
The BOTTOM LINE? AI likes nukes (for now). Prepare accordingly.
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ME: Prof. Rees talks about how us humans are mis-evolved for successful living in Modernity. We can’t even figure out how to remove our bad warmongering traits from becoming embedded in AI software code.