Posts
After the Islamic Republic: The Road Ahead for Iran
Hal Van Hercke, second post to FB 3/4/3036, PM. After the Islamic Republic: The Road Ahead for Iran. One of the most common complaints you hear right now is that even if the Islamic Republic collapses, no one really knows what comes next. That assumption sounds reasonable on the surface, but it ignores the institutions and […]
Continue ReadingThe Kurds and Iran
FB Post by Hal Van Hercke, 3/4/2026. The Kurds — And Why You’re About to Hear a Lot About Them. You’re probably going to hear a lot about the Kurds over the next few days. Here’s what that actually means. The Kurds are roughly 40 million people with no country of their own. Their homeland, […]
Continue ReadingGiving Up Darwin by David Gelernter
From ChatGPT on 1/27/2026. Prompt: Provide the source for these words. “Yale University’s David Gelernter—one of America’s most respected computer scientists—has become an unexpected but influential critic of Darwin’s evolutionary theory. His shift is not ideological but analytical: after decades of studying complex systems, probability, and biological discoveries, Gelernter concluded that Darwin’s model no longer […]
Continue ReadingEveryone Thinks Venezuela Is a Scandal. It’s a Chess Move.
From his Facebook post on 1/10/2026. Kevin Hayslett is in Clearwater. Everyone Thinks Venezuela Is a Scandal. It’s a Chess Move. This was a grandmaster move — even if most people don’t see it that way yet. They think what’s happening in Venezuela is a crime story. A narco-state finally exposed. A wanted man. A failed dictator […]
Continue ReadingBut most men perish inch by inch
“The Night They Burned Shanghai” by Robert Abrahams. It tells of a couple driving to play Bridge with some of their friends. As they are en route they survey what is going on in the world. The luxury of playing Bridge is juxtaposed with various world tragedies. The poem ends with these arresting lines: And […]
Continue ReadingMadura kickbacks to Repub and Dem politicians
From Facebook post on 1/4/2026. These US politicians woke up this morning realizing the millions of dollars in kickbacks they’ve been receiving from the Maduro regime have ended… Speaking of cartels look at this BREAKING: Venezuela’s former Chief of National Intelligence Hugo Carvajal has OFFICIALLY RELEASED every U.S. Senator who is on THE VENEZUELA LIST […]
Continue ReadingCan you hear the stars?
From https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1232835448881441&set=g.1095132992196228 In the vast expanse of the Kalahari Desert, Laurens van der Post encountered a profound truth about connection. When he confided to the Bushmen that he could not hear the stars, their initial laughter quickly morphed into a somber disbelief. For the indigenous people, silence toward the cosmos was more than a deficiency; […]
Continue ReadingThe Chattanooga Railroad – Mobile to Pascagoula to NOLA, 1870
From Facebook, Else Martin November 1, 1870 – Can you imagine the excitement of finally having a train from Pascagoula to Mobile? The Chattanooga Railroad – Mobile to Pascagoula Times Picayune, New Orleans, La., Sept., 21, 1870 About a week ago, we published a description of the New Orleans division of the Chattanooga Railroad, which […]
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