Not even a question. Absolutely

Watched Ransom (1996), a crime thriller directed by Ron Howard. The son of a wealthy airline mogul is kidnapped. When the FBI fails at paying the ransom, the mogul realizes that his son will probably get killed. He goes on tv and transforms the ransom into a bounty on the kidnappers. What ensues is a brutal dual of intellects. I enjoyed this one. The casting is impeccable. Mel Gibson plays the rich father. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with all the movies he plays in and directs. Always very entertaining. Gary Sinise plays the vilain. His casting was good. But his character goes off the rail in the second part of the movie. The plot is not that believable but still a fun thriller. 6.8/10 #nodereviews

Read this book well over a decade ago and the second edition that followed. The 3rd Edition is a must read/listen.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, 3rd Edition by John Perkins:

New York Times Bestseller

How do we stop the unrelenting evolution of the economic hit man strategy and China’s takeover?

The riveting third edition of this New York Times bestseller blows the whistle on China’s economic hit man (EHM) strategy, exposes corruption on an international scale, and offers much-needed solutions for curing the degenerative Death Economy.

In this shocking exposé, former EHM John Perkins gives an insider view into the corrupt system that cheats and strong-arms countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars and ultimately causes staggering income inequality and ecological devastation.

EHMs are highly paid professionals who use development loans to saddle countries with huge debts and force them to serve US interests. Now, a new EHM wave is infecting the world, and at the peak of the devastation sits China, a newly dominant economic power, with its own insidious version of the US EHM blueprint. Twelve explosive new chapters detail the allure, exploitation, and wreckage of China's EHM strategy in Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

If allowed to continue its rampage, the EHM strategy—whether executed by the United States or China—will destroy life as we know it. However, all is not lost. Perkins offers a plan for transforming this system that places profits above all into a Life Economy that restores the earth. He inspires listeners to take actions toward a new era of global cooperation that will end the United States's and China's EHM strategies for good.

#IKITAO #IKITAOReads

Congrats!

I received a letter from a collections agency.

Do you wanna know why? Because somehow a bank payment connected to a gas station mobile app didn't go through.

The amount $2.60. That's it. They send that to collections!

I tried to pay it but their website is shit.

I hate the fiat world man.

Sometimes you gotta grow your own luck 🥬📈🤞 #HNY26 #gardenstr #farmtotable

Ending the year on a high note. If anyone’s been watching the new Landman Season 2 - the shirt Cooper (Jacob Lofland) is wearing throughout episode 4 is a custom West Major shirt we made for the show.

Taylor Sheridan came across our brand through a store that carries us in Fort Worth (he loved it). That led to his team reaching out, and asked us to make them some shirts for the show.

First time seeing one of our pieces on the big screen. Pretty awesome.

Thank you to everyone that’s supported us this year - we sold a record number of shirts, grew and learned a lot.

We’re doing something almost none of these other western brands are doing - which is sewing our shirts in America. It’s not easy, and we appreciate everyone that’s been riding with us.

We’re running it back in 2026, and have some exciting things in the works. HAPPY NEW YEAR 🤘🌵

Happy Whitepaper Day! 👻

Most salsa in the US is just not hot enough. Im going on a salsa expedition. Recommendations are welcome at this time.

I woke up in a panic wondering how the fuck whales sleep. The answer is tripper than I thought.

There are always unintended consequences of new tech.

I’m browning some potatoes in pork fat before I bake them with chicken and feel like I’m breaking some sort of rule

GM nostr.

It's sweater weather here.

It doesn’t hurt to try.

No...all of our coffees are city roast which a light/medium. This way you get the actual flavors of each bean. Dark roast is not our preference for that reason because the main flavor is basically roasted bean.

However i understand some like the dark roast so I offer a SATSpresso off the menu. It's a very dark roast. Just note that you want that if/when you order...typically takes an additional week or two until it's roasted so plan accordingly!

The Woman Who Saved Reality With a VCR

Marion Stokes understood something most people missed: whoever controls the narrative controls reality.

So she did something about it.

This former librarian and civil rights activist started recording TV intermittently in the mid-1970s. But when the Iranian Hostage Crisis erupted on November 4, 1979, she hit record and never stopped—capturing over 33 years of 24/7 coverage across 71,000 VHS tapes.

Every single day for three and a half decades, Marion ran up to eight VCRs simultaneously. News programs, sitcoms, commercials, breaking news coverage—everything that flickered across American television screens.

Her family thought she was obsessed. Neighbors called it hoarding. But Marion saw what was coming.

She watched TV networks erase old shows to save money and space. She witnessed how stories changed when they were retold years later. Without permanent records, truth becomes whatever the loudest voice claims it to be.

As someone who'd fought for civil rights and worked as a librarian, Marion believed information should belong to everyone—not just those with power and money.

So she turned her Philadelphia home into a fortress of truth. Tapes stacked floor to ceiling. Multiple properties filled with archives. Her son Michael rushing home from dinner to swap out cassettes because "Mom's recorders couldn't miss a minute."

When Marion died in 2012, she left behind the most complete record of American television from that era. Not because she was paranoid. Because she saw what was coming.

Now the Internet Archive is digitizing every tape. Making 33 years of TV history searchable and free.

She wasn't hoarding. She was protecting.

Because Marion Stokes understood a fundamental truth..

In a world where information is power, someone has to guard the gates of truth.

Oregano seems to like the cool, rainy weather too.

help needed: just got a relay going on my umbrel. how do i set up to get zapped?

A flower stealing from a fungi? My… how the turntables have turned

The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger is another good book in the same field

Is there any place to get clothes that last anymore? Like, seriously

I’m talking good denim. Good t-shirts. Good button downs. Levi’s has gone to shit

Any recs?

Exposing good beers to the masses. Happy friday! 🍻