Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, and Debt:

The IMF Hates Bitcoin Because It Loves Total Control

The IMF and the World Bank are like the parallel universe versions of Shaggy and Scooby-Doo. They have no idea what they are doing, and yet the decisions they make determine how the show ends. The only difference is that no one wants to watch this version of the show, because Shaggy and Scoob keep debasing your currency into oblivion.

Surprise, surprise: Users unable to sell Squid Game token clocking 45,000% gains

Coronavirus News, Analysis, and Opinion:

Delta Surge of Covid-19 Recedes

The Delta wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is past its peak, with new cases, hospitalizations and deaths declining in most states. The approaching holidays and winter months will test whether the U.S. can sustain that momentum.
New Covid-19 case numbers in the U.S. are close to levels recorded near this time last year, with a seven-day average at about 72,000 a day, Johns Hopkins University data show. But the trajectory is opposite. Last fall, cases were rising while hospitalizations and deaths, trailing indicators, were starting to follow.

26K New York City Workers Miss Vaccine Deadline

More than 26,000 New York City government employees, including firefighters, police officers, and sanitation workers, flouted the deadline for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Hive Power Up Day:

I did a smallish power up this month.

By itself, well less than one half of one percent of an increase to my Hive Power. But, in the background, little HP increases happen day after day from one’s posting rewards, curation rewards, and the Hive Power accrued from staked Hive. I earned some liquid HIVE from delegations but made no 50/50 posts this month, so earned no liquid rewards.

Today I Learned:

I’ve always assumed that the Manhattan Project was the most expensive single undertaking of WW2, but it was the second most expensive. The most expensive was the B-29 Superfortress. The Norden bombsight took third place.
^{Source: The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell, p. 29)}

Politics:

The Most Damning Jan 6th Revelation Yet

Eastman didn’t recoil when the President’s rally escalated to violence. He clearly saw the inside coup plot and the insurrectionists on the street as part of the same effort. This isn’t surprising to most of us. The insurrectionists were laying siege to Pence in the Capitol because Pence wasn’t going along with the plan. And the answer was to go along with the plan. Eastman recognized the insurrection as the paramilitary wing of the coup plot he was part of and as the Capitol was under siege used it as a cudgel to force Pence’s hand. …
In real time, Trump’s message was the same as Eastman’s. You brought it on yourself and they’re my guys. The way to lift the siege is to do the right thing and support the coup. They both recognized the insurrectionists as their foot soldiers and expressed as much in real time to the members of Congress under siege. And of course they did since they were their foot soldiers.

GOP Lawmaker Compares Vaccine Mandates to Holocaust

Taiwan Is Now Arrakis

Republicans gerrymander districts, selectively close polling places, purge voter rolls, enact voter ID laws, stop mail-in ballots, shorten polling hours, and weaken voting rights legislation, but, when they lose anyway, say the system is rigged against them.

— Middle Age Riot (@middleageriot) October 30, 2021

Trump’s Truth App Gets Formal Demand To Stop Violating Software License

How ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ became code for insulting Joe Biden

Texas’ New Abortion Regime Sends Shockwaves Through Neighboring States

"You can fight against the cancer in the Republican Party of lies of conspiracy of dishonest. And you ultimately come to the realization that, basically, it’s me, Liz Cheney and a few others that are telling the truth," @RepKinzinger says. https://t.co/oJd7pY8Ezz pic.twitter.com/6RAryJNXIB

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) October 31, 2021

G20: World leaders agree to historic corporate tax deal

Well, the G20 May have agreed, but I’ve seen nothing about any of the world’s tax-haven countries saying yeah sure, we’ll gladly give up the best thing we have going for us.

Virginia Attorney General Demands Conspiratorial State Sen Share Evidence For Her Wild Claims

Serendipity:

U.N. urges Mali to end hereditary slavery

Agents of Doom: Who is creating the apocalypse and why

Joy Division: Photographer Kevin Cummins on capturing the post-punk icons

^{Badge thanks to @arcange}

^{Meme credit: ShawnLeaver (source)}

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