Of Commies and Skin Suits by John A. Lucas
With a dash of history and credit to Augustus Caesar, Buffalo Bill, and Instapundit.
Read on Substack
Al Fin: "Cowboy Commentary", aka "Eat your veggies" The Flag banner is posted in order to defy those who would make patriotic symbols illegal or disreputable.
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Kokinda video seen at CTH
Yours truly has always been opposed to large trade deficits. If other countries fight to keep it, it stands to reason that they're gaining something from it.
Milton Friedman was all for the "free trade" of the English system. It is in his book "Free to Choose". In that same book, he wrote that even if America produced nothing but greenbacks to give in exchange for goods from overseas, that this would be "wonderful" for us. I think Friedman was nuts to write something like that. If America no longer made things, then we would be at a great disadvantage.
So I'm all for what Trump is doing here. Not so sure that the Democrats nor some Republicans know what the hell they're doing.
Why only 8 horsepower can achieve highway speeds
7/23/26:
Well, I'll be. I forgot all about this one. Whatever happened to them? Let's ask Brave AI! The answer:
The Urbee, a fuel-efficient car prototype designed by Jim Kor and manufactured using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology, has seen its development evolve from the original 2010 model to the Urbee 2.
After the initial prototype garnered attention for its potential to achieve extreme fuel efficiency (up to 290 miles per gallon) using renewable ethanol and batteries, the project focused on the second iteration, Urbee 2. This model, weighing only 1,200 lbs and equipped with a 10-horsepower hybrid engine, was developed by KOR Ecologic with the goal of breaking a Guinness World Record for fuel efficiency by traveling from San Francisco to New York on just 10 liters of ethanol.
While the Urbee 2 represented a significant engineering milestone as the first road-ready 3D-printed car, the project faced financial hurdles. Despite securing sponsors and completing significant R&D, the company cited a lack of sufficient capital to fully develop and mass-produce the vehicle, leaving it as a prototype rather than a commercially available consumer product.
11/8/13:
That post about the Urbee may raise some eyebrows. He has a 8 hp internal combustion engine. How in the world can something that small achieve highway speeds?
It takes only about 20 hp to keep a much heavier car at highway speeds. That heavier car wasn't built to be as aerodynamic as the Urbee. It's all a matter of physics. You don't need that much energy to cruise, just need it to accelerate. The energy needed for cruising is kept down by the reduction in friction and weight. It's a big drop from 20 hp to 8, but it is also a big drop in weight and drag.
He will need more horses to accelerate, but he can combine the two engines (it is a hybrid) for that. With the lighter weight of the vehicle, he won't need as many horses to get up to speed, nor many horses to keep that speed.
So, I believe Kor's claims.
He has a Kickstarter campaign in effect. I put that on the sidebar to express my support. He has a modest goal, but frankly, he should be getting much more support than this, and the goals should be much bigger.
Update:
I'm in. I will back this project. This reminds me, I backed the Thorium thing that McDowell did too. He didn't finish the project, it appears. But there is this website with all the videos he has made. I recommend this one.
Update:
I had to create a new account for Kickstarter. Or I thought I did. Anyway, I have backed 3 other campaigns, and this is number 4. Here's the backer page for the Thorium remix.
Well, I'll be. I forgot all about this one. Whatever happened to them? Let's ask Brave AI! The answer:
The Urbee, a fuel-efficient car prototype designed by Jim Kor and manufactured using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology, has seen its development evolve from the original 2010 model to the Urbee 2.
After the initial prototype garnered attention for its potential to achieve extreme fuel efficiency (up to 290 miles per gallon) using renewable ethanol and batteries, the project focused on the second iteration, Urbee 2. This model, weighing only 1,200 lbs and equipped with a 10-horsepower hybrid engine, was developed by KOR Ecologic with the goal of breaking a Guinness World Record for fuel efficiency by traveling from San Francisco to New York on just 10 liters of ethanol.
While the Urbee 2 represented a significant engineering milestone as the first road-ready 3D-printed car, the project faced financial hurdles. Despite securing sponsors and completing significant R&D, the company cited a lack of sufficient capital to fully develop and mass-produce the vehicle, leaving it as a prototype rather than a commercially available consumer product.
11/8/13:
That post about the Urbee may raise some eyebrows. He has a 8 hp internal combustion engine. How in the world can something that small achieve highway speeds?
It takes only about 20 hp to keep a much heavier car at highway speeds. That heavier car wasn't built to be as aerodynamic as the Urbee. It's all a matter of physics. You don't need that much energy to cruise, just need it to accelerate. The energy needed for cruising is kept down by the reduction in friction and weight. It's a big drop from 20 hp to 8, but it is also a big drop in weight and drag.
He will need more horses to accelerate, but he can combine the two engines (it is a hybrid) for that. With the lighter weight of the vehicle, he won't need as many horses to get up to speed, nor many horses to keep that speed.
So, I believe Kor's claims.
He has a Kickstarter campaign in effect. I put that on the sidebar to express my support. He has a modest goal, but frankly, he should be getting much more support than this, and the goals should be much bigger.
Update:
I'm in. I will back this project. This reminds me, I backed the Thorium thing that McDowell did too. He didn't finish the project, it appears. But there is this website with all the videos he has made. I recommend this one.
Update:
I had to create a new account for Kickstarter. Or I thought I did. Anyway, I have backed 3 other campaigns, and this is number 4. Here's the backer page for the Thorium remix.
 |
| edited to include the backed projects |
Iran Is Threatening to Conduct Terror Attacks That Will “Cause National Mourning in America”
America First Report
This is nothing new. It was the entire basis for the Soviet Union foreign policy during the Cold War. Iran is just picking up the old playbook of the communists back then. The idea was to threaten nuclear blackmail. All the more reason why Iran must not get the bomb.
Another type of mass-casualty event, such as a 911 attack, or something that would kill massive number of Americans, should deserve a commensurate attack. Such threats were made during the Cold War, with the nuclear arms race.
The idea here may be to threaten an event like this that will have Iran denying responsibility, or any clear guilt in bringing about such a catastrophe.
It should be clear that any such attack will receive a commensurate response. That was enough to deter the Soviet Union. Will it be enough to deter Iran? Evidently, the Iranians still believe that they can issue such threats and have those threats succeed.
As with all things, we shall see.
Monday, July 20, 2026
Patterns of Civilizational Decline
Another AI dialogue.
Comment:
This AI-generated answer is included even though I do not agree with all that is written there. For example, what is "inequality"? Is that word being used in terms or wealth, or in terms of rights? Or either? Isn't a lot of what is called wealth these days only a matter of perception? If someone "loses" 1 trillion dollars in "wealth" on Wall Street, could the question of this actually being wealth be posed? Obviously, that is what I think. Therefore, the question of wealth isn't objective, it is a matter of feeling. The same may be true of any sort of inequality... There is no inequality of wealth that is meaningful in any objective sense of what is being discussed today. It is the appearance that offends. If I'm right, then that is no reason for decline.
There are other points shown here that I can challenge, but won't do that now. In my opinion, decline is not automatic and inevitable. Decline if often a choice, or more accurately, a series of choices. What lies behind the choices might be changeable, but an effort must be made to change the trajectory, or decline might as well be inevitable.
The Standard Collapse Sequence
1. Accumulating Complexity and Diminishing Returns
Joseph Tainter’s work shows that societies grow in complexity to solve problems. Initially, complexity yields high returns. Over time, the marginal benefit of adding more bureaucracy, infrastructure, and regulation declines, while the cost continues to rise. Eventually the system becomes brittle and unaffordable.
2. Elite Overproduction and Inequality
Peter Turchin’s cliodynamics model demonstrates that collapse is often preceded by a period of elite overproduction. Too many wealthy and powerful contenders compete for a fixed pool of resources and status. Inequality rises, the commoners are squeezed, and internal conflict becomes inevitable. The result is a political crisis that the system cannot contain.
3. Ecological Overshoot
Jared Diamond’s framework, supported by numerous case studies (Maya, Anasazi, Easter Island, Rome), points to resource depletion as a key trigger. Societies exceed the carrying capacity of their environment. Deforestation, soil exhaustion, water depletion, and biodiversity loss accumulate until the natural base can no longer support the population or the state.
4. Loss of Social Cohesion and Collective Identity
As inequality and complexity grow, trust in institutions erodes. The common culture fragments. The elite becomes cosmopolitan and detached from the common people. Patriotism gives way to cynicism. Fertility declines. The society loses the will to defend itself or to make sacrifices for the common good.
5. Institutional Rigidity and Maladaptive Leadership
Leaders become insulated from feedback, rewarded for short‑term gains, and unable to make painful but necessary reforms. The same institutions that once provided stability now block adaptation. The society cannot course‑correct, even when the warning signs are obvious.
6. External Shock Delivers the Final Blow
Collapse usually appears sudden, but it is the culmination of the long cycle. A drought, a plague, an invasion, or a financial panic arrives at the moment when resilience has been exhausted. The system tips.
The Pattern Is Predictable
The pattern is probabilistic rather than deterministic, but it is not random. Statistical analysis of historical societies shows that collapse correlates with measurable variables: rising inequality, falling real wages, elite wealth concentration, declining state revenues relative to costs, and environmental degradation. When these indicators align, collapse becomes highly probable regardless of the specific civilization’s age or location.
Turchin’s models have successfully predicted political instability in the United States. The same mathematics that described the fall of Rome and the collapse of the Zhou Dynasty applies to modern industrial societies.
What It Means
Civilizations do not collapse because they are old. They collapse because they hit the predictable limits of their own design. The pattern can be interrupted, but only if the society recognizes the danger and makes difficult choices early. Most do not, because the elite benefit from the current arrangement and the common people lack the power to force change.
That is the pattern. It is well established, repeatable, and applicable to our own time.
Comment:
This AI-generated answer is included even though I do not agree with all that is written there. For example, what is "inequality"? Is that word being used in terms or wealth, or in terms of rights? Or either? Isn't a lot of what is called wealth these days only a matter of perception? If someone "loses" 1 trillion dollars in "wealth" on Wall Street, could the question of this actually being wealth be posed? Obviously, that is what I think. Therefore, the question of wealth isn't objective, it is a matter of feeling. The same may be true of any sort of inequality... There is no inequality of wealth that is meaningful in any objective sense of what is being discussed today. It is the appearance that offends. If I'm right, then that is no reason for decline.
There are other points shown here that I can challenge, but won't do that now. In my opinion, decline is not automatic and inevitable. Decline if often a choice, or more accurately, a series of choices. What lies behind the choices might be changeable, but an effort must be made to change the trajectory, or decline might as well be inevitable.
Question: Civilizations have risen and have fallen. Is there a predicatable pattern in which civilizations fall into that determine their downfall?
Answer:
Yes, there are predictable patterns. Historians, anthropologists, and complexity scientists have identified recurring sequences that precede civilizational collapse. The pattern is not uniform in every detail, but the underlying dynamics are remarkably consistent across cases.The Standard Collapse Sequence
1. Accumulating Complexity and Diminishing Returns
Joseph Tainter’s work shows that societies grow in complexity to solve problems. Initially, complexity yields high returns. Over time, the marginal benefit of adding more bureaucracy, infrastructure, and regulation declines, while the cost continues to rise. Eventually the system becomes brittle and unaffordable.
2. Elite Overproduction and Inequality
Peter Turchin’s cliodynamics model demonstrates that collapse is often preceded by a period of elite overproduction. Too many wealthy and powerful contenders compete for a fixed pool of resources and status. Inequality rises, the commoners are squeezed, and internal conflict becomes inevitable. The result is a political crisis that the system cannot contain.
3. Ecological Overshoot
Jared Diamond’s framework, supported by numerous case studies (Maya, Anasazi, Easter Island, Rome), points to resource depletion as a key trigger. Societies exceed the carrying capacity of their environment. Deforestation, soil exhaustion, water depletion, and biodiversity loss accumulate until the natural base can no longer support the population or the state.
4. Loss of Social Cohesion and Collective Identity
As inequality and complexity grow, trust in institutions erodes. The common culture fragments. The elite becomes cosmopolitan and detached from the common people. Patriotism gives way to cynicism. Fertility declines. The society loses the will to defend itself or to make sacrifices for the common good.
5. Institutional Rigidity and Maladaptive Leadership
Leaders become insulated from feedback, rewarded for short‑term gains, and unable to make painful but necessary reforms. The same institutions that once provided stability now block adaptation. The society cannot course‑correct, even when the warning signs are obvious.
6. External Shock Delivers the Final Blow
Collapse usually appears sudden, but it is the culmination of the long cycle. A drought, a plague, an invasion, or a financial panic arrives at the moment when resilience has been exhausted. The system tips.
The Pattern Is Predictable
The pattern is probabilistic rather than deterministic, but it is not random. Statistical analysis of historical societies shows that collapse correlates with measurable variables: rising inequality, falling real wages, elite wealth concentration, declining state revenues relative to costs, and environmental degradation. When these indicators align, collapse becomes highly probable regardless of the specific civilization’s age or location.
Turchin’s models have successfully predicted political instability in the United States. The same mathematics that described the fall of Rome and the collapse of the Zhou Dynasty applies to modern industrial societies.
What It Means
Civilizations do not collapse because they are old. They collapse because they hit the predictable limits of their own design. The pattern can be interrupted, but only if the society recognizes the danger and makes difficult choices early. Most do not, because the elite benefit from the current arrangement and the common people lack the power to force change.
That is the pattern. It is well established, repeatable, and applicable to our own time.
Analysis of a video by AI via a transcript
Note:
I watched this video briefly and decided that it is much too long to watch it all. Why not have AI summarize and analyze it for me? So that idea was tested here, with the results pasted here for your perusal.
The usual claptrap about the elections being "honest" is just that.
The usual cover-up is in force, since it is getting blown off as usual.
I will keep on the story, as all of it is total BRAVO SIERRA by the political left, who are nothing but a bunch of commie pinko f**s.
Start:
Based on the transcript you provided, I can summarize and analyze the video. Although I cannot watch the video directly, the transcript is thorough enough to work with.
Video Title: Intro Into Trump Speech Tomorrow - Election Integrity - The Georgia Show! 7/15/26
Channel: CDM (1.12K subscribers)
Hosts: L Todd Wood and Bill Quinn
Guests: David Cross (financial advisor, election integrity activist) and Chris Gleason (U.S. Senate candidate in Florida, election integrity analyst)
Summary
This episode of The Georgia Show serves as a prelude to President Trump's anticipated address on election integrity, scheduled for July 16, 2026. The hosts and guests lay out a series of claims about systemic election fraud in Georgia and across the United States, focusing on voting machines, software provenance, and alleged official complicity. Key points include:
1. Voting machine vulnerabilities: David Cross argues that Georgia's Dominion/Liberty voting machines are fundamentally insecure. He claims the infrared scanner meant to validate "Vote Secure" ballot stock may not exist inside the machines, that a hardcoded password (DVSC Corp08!) is widely known, and that the software was originally built for Hugo Chávez's Venezuela by the Sinaloa Cartel (per Martin Rodil's earlier report). He asserts the machines should be replaced entirely with hand-counted paper ballots.
2. 2020 election anomalies: Cross cites a Fulton County video showing only ~14,000 votes cast by 5:00 PM on Election Day, yet the county reported ~59,000 election-day votes. He suggests this implies ballot stuffing or rigged counts.
3. Lack of mainstream platforming: Both Cross and Gleason note that despite years of work, major conservative figures (Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, Breitbart) have largely ignored them, which they interpret as a coordinated blackout or cover-up.
4. Chris Gleason's Florida investigations: Gleason discusses a criminal complaint about mail trackers that moved from Tampa to Fulton County, Georgia, then went dead. He also references a case in Hillsborough County where Georgia men were caught filling out ballots in the 2024 election.
5. Executive Order 13848: Bill Quinn highlights the 2018 Trump executive order on foreign interference, which requires the DNI to report within 45 days of an election. He notes that the Biden administration kept the order in force, and suggests John Ratcliffe confirmed foreign interference before leaving office.
6. Upcoming address: The hosts express cautious hope that Trump's speech will reveal hard evidence, lead to prosecutions, and trigger real reform—but they also fear a "limited hangout" that sacrifices some players while leaving the machine system intact.
Analysis
1. Partisan Source and Framing
This video is produced by an explicitly pro-Trump, anti-establishment conservative outlet. The hosts and guests presume that the 2020 election was stolen and that current Georgia officials (Brian Kemp, Brad Raffensperger) are corrupt or complicit. The framing is one of a "whistleblower" narrative: the truth has been suppressed by both Democrats and establishment Republicans.
2. Claims About Machine Software
The claim that Dominion/Liberty software originates from the Sinaloa Cartel and Hugo Chávez is a long-standing but unproven allegation. While Martin Rodil's report (referenced in the video) has been promoted in certain circles, it has not been validated by any federal court or independent technical audit. The hardcoded password claim has been cited in litigation, but Dominion has denied it, and no publicly released forensic analysis has confirmed systemic backdoor manipulation.
3. Fulton County Vote Discrepancy
The discrepancy between the 5:00 PM count (~14,000) and the final election day count (~59,000) is a piece of circumstantial evidence. The video does not account for the possibility of late-reporting precincts, provisional ballots, or normal processing delays. Without chain-of-custody records or ballot images, it remains an anomaly rather than proof of fraud.
4. Media Blackout Claims
Both Cross and Gleason's complaints about being ignored by Bannon, Tucker, and Breitbart are noteworthy. If these figures are indeed skeptical of the claims, it suggests the allegations are not universally accepted even within the conservative media ecosystem. It could indicate that the evidence is not as airtight as the speakers believe, or that there is strategic disagreement about how to pursue the issue.
5. Executive Order 13848
Quinn's segment on the foreign interference executive order is technically accurate: the order exists, was renewed by Biden, and requires a DNI report. However, the claim that Ratcliffe confirmed foreign interference before leaving office is contested. Ratcliffe's public statements were ambiguous, and the full classified report has never been released. The order's asset-seizure provisions are broad, but their application to domestic actors would be legally novel and likely challenged.
6. What to Expect from Trump's Speech
The hosts are setting up expectations for a major revelation. Given the history of Trump's election fraud claims, it is plausible he will announce new investigations, name individuals, or call for systemic changes. However, the lack of corroboration from mainstream conservative outlets for the specific software/cartel claims suggests that any announcements may be more about political theater than actionable evidence.
Conclusion
This video is a rallying piece for viewers who already believe the 2020 election was stolen. It synthesizes technical claims (machine passwords, infrared scanners, cartel software) with political grievances (Kemp, Raffensperger, media blackout). The analysis is one-sided but not trivial—some of the technical questions (e.g., the absence of infrared scanners, the hardcoded password) are legitimate areas of concern that merit independent investigation. However, the video does not engage with counterarguments, and its claims about the software's origin remain unsubstantiated in court.
If you want a more neutral assessment, I would recommend cross-referencing these claims with official election security audits, court rulings, and non-partisan reports from organizations like the EAC or CISA.
I watched this video briefly and decided that it is much too long to watch it all. Why not have AI summarize and analyze it for me? So that idea was tested here, with the results pasted here for your perusal.
The usual claptrap about the elections being "honest" is just that.
The usual cover-up is in force, since it is getting blown off as usual.
I will keep on the story, as all of it is total BRAVO SIERRA by the political left, who are nothing but a bunch of commie pinko f**s.
Start:
Based on the transcript you provided, I can summarize and analyze the video. Although I cannot watch the video directly, the transcript is thorough enough to work with.
Video Title: Intro Into Trump Speech Tomorrow - Election Integrity - The Georgia Show! 7/15/26
Channel: CDM (1.12K subscribers)
Hosts: L Todd Wood and Bill Quinn
Guests: David Cross (financial advisor, election integrity activist) and Chris Gleason (U.S. Senate candidate in Florida, election integrity analyst)
Summary
This episode of The Georgia Show serves as a prelude to President Trump's anticipated address on election integrity, scheduled for July 16, 2026. The hosts and guests lay out a series of claims about systemic election fraud in Georgia and across the United States, focusing on voting machines, software provenance, and alleged official complicity. Key points include:
1. Voting machine vulnerabilities: David Cross argues that Georgia's Dominion/Liberty voting machines are fundamentally insecure. He claims the infrared scanner meant to validate "Vote Secure" ballot stock may not exist inside the machines, that a hardcoded password (DVSC Corp08!) is widely known, and that the software was originally built for Hugo Chávez's Venezuela by the Sinaloa Cartel (per Martin Rodil's earlier report). He asserts the machines should be replaced entirely with hand-counted paper ballots.
2. 2020 election anomalies: Cross cites a Fulton County video showing only ~14,000 votes cast by 5:00 PM on Election Day, yet the county reported ~59,000 election-day votes. He suggests this implies ballot stuffing or rigged counts.
3. Lack of mainstream platforming: Both Cross and Gleason note that despite years of work, major conservative figures (Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, Breitbart) have largely ignored them, which they interpret as a coordinated blackout or cover-up.
4. Chris Gleason's Florida investigations: Gleason discusses a criminal complaint about mail trackers that moved from Tampa to Fulton County, Georgia, then went dead. He also references a case in Hillsborough County where Georgia men were caught filling out ballots in the 2024 election.
5. Executive Order 13848: Bill Quinn highlights the 2018 Trump executive order on foreign interference, which requires the DNI to report within 45 days of an election. He notes that the Biden administration kept the order in force, and suggests John Ratcliffe confirmed foreign interference before leaving office.
6. Upcoming address: The hosts express cautious hope that Trump's speech will reveal hard evidence, lead to prosecutions, and trigger real reform—but they also fear a "limited hangout" that sacrifices some players while leaving the machine system intact.
Analysis
1. Partisan Source and Framing
This video is produced by an explicitly pro-Trump, anti-establishment conservative outlet. The hosts and guests presume that the 2020 election was stolen and that current Georgia officials (Brian Kemp, Brad Raffensperger) are corrupt or complicit. The framing is one of a "whistleblower" narrative: the truth has been suppressed by both Democrats and establishment Republicans.
2. Claims About Machine Software
The claim that Dominion/Liberty software originates from the Sinaloa Cartel and Hugo Chávez is a long-standing but unproven allegation. While Martin Rodil's report (referenced in the video) has been promoted in certain circles, it has not been validated by any federal court or independent technical audit. The hardcoded password claim has been cited in litigation, but Dominion has denied it, and no publicly released forensic analysis has confirmed systemic backdoor manipulation.
3. Fulton County Vote Discrepancy
The discrepancy between the 5:00 PM count (~14,000) and the final election day count (~59,000) is a piece of circumstantial evidence. The video does not account for the possibility of late-reporting precincts, provisional ballots, or normal processing delays. Without chain-of-custody records or ballot images, it remains an anomaly rather than proof of fraud.
4. Media Blackout Claims
Both Cross and Gleason's complaints about being ignored by Bannon, Tucker, and Breitbart are noteworthy. If these figures are indeed skeptical of the claims, it suggests the allegations are not universally accepted even within the conservative media ecosystem. It could indicate that the evidence is not as airtight as the speakers believe, or that there is strategic disagreement about how to pursue the issue.
5. Executive Order 13848
Quinn's segment on the foreign interference executive order is technically accurate: the order exists, was renewed by Biden, and requires a DNI report. However, the claim that Ratcliffe confirmed foreign interference before leaving office is contested. Ratcliffe's public statements were ambiguous, and the full classified report has never been released. The order's asset-seizure provisions are broad, but their application to domestic actors would be legally novel and likely challenged.
6. What to Expect from Trump's Speech
The hosts are setting up expectations for a major revelation. Given the history of Trump's election fraud claims, it is plausible he will announce new investigations, name individuals, or call for systemic changes. However, the lack of corroboration from mainstream conservative outlets for the specific software/cartel claims suggests that any announcements may be more about political theater than actionable evidence.
Conclusion
This video is a rallying piece for viewers who already believe the 2020 election was stolen. It synthesizes technical claims (machine passwords, infrared scanners, cartel software) with political grievances (Kemp, Raffensperger, media blackout). The analysis is one-sided but not trivial—some of the technical questions (e.g., the absence of infrared scanners, the hardcoded password) are legitimate areas of concern that merit independent investigation. However, the video does not engage with counterarguments, and its claims about the software's origin remain unsubstantiated in court.
If you want a more neutral assessment, I would recommend cross-referencing these claims with official election security audits, court rulings, and non-partisan reports from organizations like the EAC or CISA.
One-World Globalism Run Amuck
7/20/26:
It looks like a number of problems we're currently facing have their origins in Democrat administrations. Starting with Slick Willie, then 0bummer, and finally the biggest fraud of them all, Slow Joe.
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