I’ve never been a fan of TikTok. Maybe it’s because I’m generally skeptical of social media (Yeah‚ I know‚ I’m a journalist. I’m in my early 20s. I grew up in the internet age. Call me an anomaly.); or perhaps it’s because I grew up in the Midwest next to one of the most secure military bases in the world and have a deeply entrenched skepticism of anything owned by or located in China. (WATCH: The Spectacle Ep. 79: New Tech Is Woke. Just Look at Gemini.) Either way‚ I’m a supporter of the U.S. House of Representatives’ recent vote to ban the social media platform from app stores and American web services unless its Chinese-based parent company‚ ByteDance‚ sells it. The bill has received bipartisan support‚ which usually means one of two things is true: Either the bill is bad news all around‚ or the problem is so obvious even Democrats are willing to do something about it. While it will likely be challenged in the Senate (courtesy of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer)‚ President Joe Biden says he’s willing to sign it into law. Is it the best thing we could have come up with? Probably not. Is it a step in the right direction? Yes. The two things lawmakers are (for once‚ rightfully) concerned about with TikTok are Chinese propaganda and data. “The bill is … [about] propaganda and foreign propaganda pitting Americans against Americans or prioritizing certain hashtag subject matter that is problematic” at the behest of Beijing‚ Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) said. (READ MORE: Apple’s Vision Pro Heralds Doomsday) TikTok collects tons of user data (although it does store U.S. user data on a cloud rather than in China). It’s unlikely that Beijing is all that interested in the personal data of you‚ your kids and grandkids‚ or even famous TikTok influencers. It could be‚ but that seems impractical. There are 170 million Americans on the app‚ and that’s a lot of data to crunch. The issue isn’t individual data; it’s mass data. Beijing wants to know what Americans are interested in‚ what we’re buying‚ what we’re watching‚ and the social trends we subject ourselves to. They want to know what makes Americans tick. (So would I‚ but I don’t have thousands of companies infiltrating American society at my beck and call.) Could we see TikTok banned? It’s certainly possible‚ although it will depend on the Senate. ByteDance has already spent some $21.3 million on federal lobbying since 2019‚ and you can be sure it’ll continue to pour funding into lobbying efforts in the Senate in the coming months. (READ MORE from Aubrey Gulick: Social Media Is Bad for Children‚ so Congress Put on a Show) If I’m being honest‚ my glee over TikTok’s potential downfall has less to do with its Chinese influence and more to do with the impact it’s had on our culture and my generation’s attention span. But I’m also biased. I’m horrible at the kinds of dancing popular on TikTok — I can swing with a partner any day‚ but ask me to jump around to pop music and I’ll make a fool of myself. This article is an excerpt from The American Spectator’s Spectator P.M. newsletter. Subscribe today to read future letters from our staff! The post The Beginning of the End of TikTok? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Unless you have a particularly large group to feed‚ you'll probably have leftovers when you make lasagna. Just how long will it last after you freeze it?

In an exclusive interview with Mashed‚ Owen Han shares his secret to elevating any and every sandwich: It's all in the sauce‚ and it all starts with mayonnaise.

The economy is in the hands of incapable and woefully mistaken politicians. If they have their way‚ the economy will only get worse‚ and the common man will suffer. On Sunday‚ Peter recapped a stellar week for gold. He also provided an analysis of President Biden’s State of the Union Address and criticized Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s perspective on the economy.  Both gold and bitcoin hit records last week‚ with gold nearly topping $2200/oz and bitcoin trading above $70‚000. Gold’s surge is driven by central bank demand abroad‚ but Bitcoin’s spike is driven mainly by ETF hype in the retail sector‚ which is less likely to last: “For my money that’s the contrarian indicator: what the retail public is buying is generally what you want to sell‚ and what the retail public is selling is what you want to buy. The smart money is buying gold. The dumb money is selling gold and buying bitcoin.” Gold continued to rise even as last week’s highly-anticipated government jobs report exceeded the most optimistic expectations. The report‚ of course‚ is suspect and should be accepted cautiously. Last month’s figures were revised downward by over 30%‚ and this month’s figures could be revised similarly: “That number is highly likely to be revised much lower next month‚ which is exactly what happened to the January number‚ which was reported last month at 353‚000 jobs. That was revised down to 229‚000. About 120‚000 jobs were erased. … That was a huge downward revision‚ and so given that and given the tendency to revise down just about every number that we’ve had‚ why does anybody even care what the original number is? Why celebrate a ‘beat’ that could be revised to a ‘miss’ next month?”Survival Shield X-3 is BACK at the Infowars Store! Get 40% OFF on the next evolution in activated nascent iodine HERE Even if the numbers are correct‚ the fact that this report deals with public sector jobs raises the question‚ does the economy need more government jobs? “These are all related to government spending and the deficit‚ and they’re not goods-producing. But if you take healthcare‚ education‚ and government‚ that’s 71% of the jobs. We don’t need more government jobs. In fact‚ we have too many government jobs! We need to eliminate government jobs. We can’t afford them because we don’t have the money to pay for them.” Peter pivots to address the second half of Jerome Powell’s congressional testimony last week‚ in which he denied that the Fed is facilitating government debt: “That’s just a bold-faced lie. I mean how can he even say something like that‚ unless Powell doesn’t believe that buying treasuries is the same thing as loaning the U.S. government money? … When you buy U.S. treasuries you are loaning the U.S. government money. I mean‚ that’s exactly what you’re doing. … The Fed has loaned the US government seven and a half trillion dollars. The U.S. government owes the Fed seven and a half trillion dollars. I mean if that’s not a loan‚ what the hell is it?” Powell also fundamentally misunderstands the purpose of the Fed’s political independence: “I don’t like the fact that Powell refuses to answer any questions on the grounds that he can’t comment on something political—which is a complete distortion of the concept of an independent Fed. An independent Fed is not supposed to refrain from criticizing the government. That’s not why it’s independent. It’s independent precisely so it can criticize the government!” In his address last week‚ President Biden chose to highlight issues abroad‚ like the war in Ukraine‚ rather than confront the true crisis America faces: “[Biden] doesn’t really talk about the fiscal time bomb‚ the exploding national debt‚ the fact that interest costs now exceed the defense budget. This is a fiscal time bomb! We are very close to a major economic crisis. Biden needs to talk about what he’s going to do to defuse this bomb!” Peter dismantles Biden’s claim that his administration has improved the economy and‚ most notably‚ created many new jobs: “He wants to say that he’s created all these jobs. He didn’t create anything! These jobs were the jobs that were put on hold. At the same time‚ Biden says‚ ‘Trump lost all these jobs. More jobs were lost by Trump than any other president.’ Those are the same jobs that he claims he created! They weren’t lost. They were put on hold‚ and then when he comes into office‚ they’re taken off hold. But he’s distorting all this COVID stuff to try to make him look good.” Biden’s plan to tax wealthier Americans is also misguided at best and destructive at worst: “These tax hikes‚ even if they happen‚ would not produce any significant quantity of revenue to the government‚ and they may even backfire‚ which happens a lot when you raise the marginal tax rate. When you raise the corporate tax rate‚ corporations and high-income earners often rearrange their affairs in such a way to avoid those extra taxes‚ and it ends up backfiring‚ because one of the ways they may avoid those extra taxes is they don’t hire as many people. They’re not as productive as they otherwise would’ve been.” Both Powell’s testimony and Biden’s speech reveal a startling fact: the economy is in the hands of incapable and woefully mistaken politicians. If they have their way‚ the economy will only get worse‚ and the common man will suffer. MUST WATCH: Funeral Home Director John O’Looney Exposes The Secret COVID Holocaust

There are two primary tools that various failing regimes will always use to distort the true conditions of the economy: Debt and inflation. One of my favorite false narratives floating around corporate media platforms has been the argument that the American people “just don’t seem to understand how good the economy really is right now.” If only they would look at the stats‚ they would realize that we are in the middle of a financial renaissance‚ right? It must be that people have been brainwashed by negative press from conservative sources… I have to laugh at this claim because it’s a very common one throughout history – It’s an assertion made by almost every single political regime right before a major collapse. These people always say the same things‚ and when you study economics as long as I have you can’t help but throw up your hands and marvel at their dedication to the propaganda. One example that comes to mind immediately is the delusional optimism of the “roaring” 1920s and the lead up to the Great Depression. At the time around 60% of the US population was living in poverty conditions (according to the metrics of the decade) earning less than $2000 a year. However‚ in the years after WWI ravaged Europe‚ America’s economic power was considered unrivaled. The 1920s was an era of mass production and rampant consumerism but it was all fueled by easy access to debt‚ a condition which had not really existed before in America. It was this illusion of prosperity created by the unchecked application of credit that eventually led to the massive stock market bubble and the crash of 1929. This implosion‚ along with the Federal Reserve’s policy of raising interest rates into economic weakness‚ created a black hole in the US financial system for over a decade. There are two primary tools that various failing regimes will always use to distort the true conditions of the economy: Debt and inflation. In the case of America today‚ we are experiencing BOTH problems simultaneously and this has made certain economic indicators appear healthy when they are‚ in fact‚ highly unstable. The average American knows this is the case because they see the effects daily. They see the damage to their wallets‚ to their buying power‚ in the jobs market and in their quality of life. This is why public faith in the economy has been stuck in the dregs since 2021.Our fan-favorite Turbo Force Plus is now 40% off! See for yourself the delicious one-of-a-kind energy boost infowarriors CRAVE! The establishment can shove out-of-context stats in people’s faces‚ but they can’t force the populace to see a recovery that simply does not exist. Let’s go through a short list of the most faulty indicators and the real reasons why the fiscal picture is not as rosy as the media would like us to believe… The “Miracle” Labor Market Recovery In the case of the US labor market‚ we have a clear example of distortion through inflation. The $8 trillion+ dropped on the economy in the first 18 months of the pandemic response sent the system over the edge into stagflation land. Helicopter money has a habit of doing two things very well: Blowing up a bubble in stock markets and blowing up a bubble in retail. Hence‚ the massive rush by Americans to go out and buy‚ followed by the sudden labor shortage and the race to hire (mostly for low wage part-time jobs). The problem with this “miracle” is that inflation leads to price explosions‚ which we have already experienced. The average American is spending around 30% more for goods‚ services and housing compared to what they were spending in 2020. This is what happens when you have too much fiat money chasing too few goods and limited production. The jobs market looks great on paper‚ but the majority of jobs generated in the past few years are jobs that returned after the covid lockdowns ended (the same lockdowns Democrats tried to keep in place perpetually). The rest are jobs created through monetary stimulus‚ and then there is the issue of “immigrant jobs” and data that is revised to the negative months later.  I suspect we won’t ever hear the real stats unless Trump enters office in 2025.  Then the media discussion will focus intently on how terrible the labor market really is. Part time low wage service sector jobs are not going to keep the country rolling for very long in a stagflation environment. The question is‚ what happens now that the stimulus punch bowl has been removed? Just as we witnessed in the 1920s‚ Americans have turned to debt to make up for higher prices and stagnant wages by maxing out their credit cards to historic levels. With the central bank keeping interest rates high‚ the credit safety net will soon falter. This condition also goes for businesses; businesses that will soon jump headlong into mass layoffs when they realize the party is over.  It happened during the Great Depression and it will happen again today. Stock Market Bonanza We saw cracks in in the armor of the financial structure in 2023 with the spring banking crisis‚ and without the abrupt Federal Reserve backstop many more small and medium banks would have dropped dead. The weakness of US banks is offset by the relative strength of the US dollar‚ which lures in foreign investors hoping to protect their wealth using dollar denominated assets. But something is amiss. Gold and Bitcoin have rocketed higher along with stocks and the dollar. This is the opposite of what’s supposed to happen. Gold and BC are supposed to be hedges against a weak dollar and weak equities‚ right? If global faith in the dollar and in stocks is so high‚ why are investors diving into protective assets like gold? Again‚ as noted above‚ inflation distorts everything. Tens of trillions of extra dollars printed by the Fed are floating around and it’s no surprise that much of that cash is flooding into the stock market which simply pushes higher right along with prices on the shelf. But‚ gold and BC are telling us a more nuanced story about what’s really happening. Right now‚ the US government is adding around $1 Trillion every 100 days to the national debt as the Fed holds rates higher to fight inflation.  Higher interest means exponential debt conditions‚ and this debt is going to crush America’s financial standing for global investors who will eventually ask HOW the US is going to handle that growing millstone? As I predicted years ago‚ the Fed has created a perfect Catch-22 scenario in which the US must either return to rampant inflation‚ or‚ face a debt breakdown. In either case‚ US dollar denominated assets will lose their appeal and stock markets will ultimately plummet. Beyond this reality‚ stocks are not a leading indicator of anything‚ let alone the stability of the financial system. Stocks are a trailing indicator; they crash well after all the other warning signals have made it obvious that something is wrong. Average Americans‚ for good reason‚ do not care what stock markets have to say. Healthy GDP Is A Complete Farce Beyond the stock market‚ GDP is the most common out-of-context stat used by governments to convince the citizenry that all is well. It is yet another stat that is entirely manipulated by inflation. It is also manipulated by the way in which modern governments define “production and market value.” GDP is primarily driven by spending. Meaning‚ the higher inflation goes‚ the higher prices go‚ and the higher GDP climbs (to a point). Eventually prices go too high‚ credit cards tap out and spending ceases. But‚ for a short time inflation makes GDP (as well as retail) look good. Another factor that creates a bubble is the reality that government spending is actually included in the calculation of GDP. That’s right‚ every dollar of your tax money that the government wastes helps the establishment by propping up GDP numbers. This is why government spending increases will never stop – It’s too valuable for them to spend as a way to make the economy appear healthier than it is. The Real Economy Is Eclipsing The Fake Economy The bottom line is that Americans used to be able to ignore the warning signs because their bank accounts were not being directly affected. This is over. Now‚ every person in the country is dealing with a massive decline in buying power and higher prices across the board in all assets. Even the wealthy are seeing a compression to their profits and many are struggling to keep their businesses in the black. The unfortunate truth is that the elections of 2024 will probably be the turning point at which the whole edifice comes tumbling down. Even if the public votes for change‚ the system is already broken and cannot be repaired without a complete overhaul. We have consistently avoided taking our medicine and our weaknesses have only accumulated. People have lost faith in the economy because they have not faced this kind of uncertainty since the 1930s. Even the stagflation crisis of the 1970s will likely pale in comparison to what is about to happen. On the bright side‚ at least a large number of Americans are aware of the threat‚ as opposed to the 1920s when the vast majority of people were utterly conned by the government‚ the banks and the media into thinking all was well. Knowing is the first step to preparing. Deep State Used U.S. Intelligence Agencies/DOJ to Illegally Terrorize Trump Supporters

from 21st Century Wire: According to funding records‚ the annual US budget for ‘intelligence-gathering’ is just over $100 billion. Despite this big ticket spending spree‚ it’s seems that Washington has been stuck behind the curve when it comes to its geostrategic policy and decision-making.  After two years of dragging the country of Ukraine into an impossible […]

from State Of The Nation: SOTN Editor’s Note: This prescient exposé from 2019 stands out because everything it predicted has come true. But even today‚ many of the most alarming aspects of this preparatory phase of the ongoing American Bolshevik Revolution carried out by the Uniparty‚ Deep State and New World Order globalist cabal are […]

from Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a jack of all trades. He was an accomplished swordsman‚ a military colonel‚ and a musical virtuoso‚ conductor‚ and composer. He was often referred to as the Black Mozart‚ which should tell you why his name is not as renowned as other musical geniuses.  Being Black or mulatto hindered Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ greatness in terms of public perception. But there is no mistaking his awe-inspiring achievements in several fields. This article gives him credit as one of the best musicians of his time while being one of the most skilled fencers.  Color portrait of Joseph Bologne de Saint-George‚ 1788 He Was Born Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-George was born Joseph Bologne. He was the first biracial man to gain fame as a classical composer in Europe.  Bologne has more than 40 compositions under his name in different musical fields. The number pertains only to those that were uncovered and recognized. Many more were lost with time.  Early Life Bologne was the illegitimate son of plantation owner Georges Bologne de Saint-Georges and his slave Nanon. Bologne was born on December 25‚ 1745‚ in the French territory of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.  De Saint-Georges was legally married to Elisabeth Merican when he impregnated Nanon. However‚ he never neglected Bologne‚ although the biracial boy would never be recognized as a noble because of his illegitimacy.  When Bologne was only two years old‚ de Saint-Georges was accused of murder following a duel gone bad. He fled to France and was later joined by Bologne and Nanon. After he was granted pardon two years later‚ the family of three returned to Guadeloupe.  But when Bologne turned seven‚ he returned to France because his father wanted to provide him with the education that was meant for children of his stature. After all‚ he was the son of one of the major landowners in Guadeloupe.  Chevalier de Saint-Georges in 1768 Promising Fencer It was unclear when exactly Bologne started playing music. Instead‚ it was his skills in fencing that gave him acclaim in his young life. Bologne was enrolled in a fencing academy where he excelled at the young age of 13.  Bologne was so good that he defeated fencers older than him. One of them was Alexandre Picard‚ a known fencing master who often made fun of Bologne because he was mulatto.  After graduating from the academy‚ Bologne was given the title of Gentleman of the King’s Chamber and became a chevalier‚ the French equivalent of knighthood. As he was also allowed to carry his father’s family name‚ Bologne was formally referred to as Chevalier de Saint-Georges.  Aside from fencing‚ Bologne was also reported to have excelled in equestrian‚ dancing‚ swimming‚ ice skating‚ shooting‚ and of course‚ music.  U.S. President John Adams described Bologne as “the most accomplished man in Europe in riding‚ running‚ shooting‚ fencing‚ dancing‚ and music.”  Musical Career Aside from being a good fencer‚ Bologne became popular as a musician and composer in his adult years.  Little is known when Bologne started playing music but wealthy families are known to hire tutors for their young children. Bologne proved an exceptional violinist. It was his performance that endeared him to his audiences‚ particularly the women. His performance was described as “pushing the instrument to its limits.” “By the mid-1760s‚ his name starts to appear as a dedicatee of violin pieces published by other virtuosos in Paris‚ indicating that his talents were beginning to be recognized‚” Julia Doe‚ Assistant Professor of Music at Columbia University in New York‚ told the Guardian in a 2023 feature on Bologne. “Then within just a few years‚ he was quite firmly established on the Parisian musical scene.” In terms of music‚ he didn’t do just one thing. Bologne was a master of many—playing in symphonies‚ composing symphonies and orchestras‚ and working as an ensemble director.  During his career‚ he was credited with composing many musical works: Wrote 6 operas Composed symphony concerts Composed 14 violin concertos Composed 5 sonatas Composed 3 musical pieces for string quartets Composed 13 vocal musical pieces These were the accomplishments discovered after the French Revolution but he probably had more musical achievements.  In 1773‚ Bologne became the conductor of Le Concert des Amateurs. However‚ it had to disband due to a lack of funding. That didn’t stop Bologne from performing in many events‚ including private ones. Queen Marie Antoinette became one of his fans and would often invite him to private concerts. Bologne was recommended as the next director of the Paris Opera. However‚ being of mixed race‚ several actors opposed the proposed appointment‚ saying they could never take directions from a mulatto.  He didn’t want to embarrass the queen‚ so he withdrew his name from contention. Bologne focused on writing music instead.  Military Career and Death When the French Revolution happened‚ Bologne served in the National Guard. But he continued to compose and give concerts on the side. Even in war‚ Bologne excelled. He was a leader‚ which prompted his immediate rise to military captain and colonel the next year. He famously led an all-Black regiment during the war.  Politics was a big part of the war and Bologne fell victim to it. He was sentenced to jail for “unrevolutionary behavior.” He reportedly used revolutionary funds to pay off his debts. While his father was wealthy and later declared a noble‚ being illegitimate and of mixed race didn’t afford Bologne the many rights enjoyed by white people. The senior de Saint-Georges died in 1774. He left some money to Bologne but his legitimate child inherited his plantation. His musical practices were also mentioned as one of his many faults. Bologne’s ties with Marie Antoinette‚ who was executed for being a traitor‚ were also examined.  Eventually‚ all of the charges against Bologne were dismissed.  He went back to composing music and died in June 1799 from a bladder disease. He was 53 and left no family behind. Bologne reportedly had many dalliances with women but never married anyone. His stature meant he cavorted with white noblewomen‚ but his color prevented him from being equal to them.  Why Was He Called the Black Mozart? Bologne was often referred to as the Black Mozart because not many nobles deigned to give him a proper moniker because of the color of his skin. There was evidence that Bologne met Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart since they lived in the same residence for a time.  They occupied the home of Baron von Grimm in Chaussee d’Antin between July and September of 1778. So‚ it’s very likely that the two musical geniuses interacted with each other.  However‚ being referred to as a Black Mozart was quite limiting. Bologne was his own person and achieved greatness through his talent and grit despite the color of his skin. Hollywood finally honored his name through the 2023 release of the film Chevalier starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. in the titular role. The post Chevalier de Saint-Georges: The Forgotten Black Mozart first appeared on History Defined.