The Wreck That Saved America From a Massive Radioactive Attack
June 23, 1944. In the darkness of the mid-Atlantic, 850 nautical miles west of the Cape Verde Islands, the Japanese submarine I-52 slices through the water. The 356-foot vessel, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Kameo Uno, carries a cargo set to alter the course of the war.

I-52's cavernous hold contains 2.2 tons of gold bars, payment for Nazi Germany's most advanced technology. More crucially, 1,700 pounds of uranium oxide lie in wait - the potential core of a dirty bomb. War secrets, cutting-edge radar equipment, and even an Enigma machine complete the precious cargo, all destined to unlock German military innovation.

Near midnight, an American airman aboard a Grumman TBF-1C Avenger detects a surface contact on his half-functional radar. Lieutenant Commander Jesse D. Taylor, piloting the lead aircraft, responds immediately. Flares burst from his Avenger, bathing the ocean below in harsh light.

Caught in the sudden illumination, I-52 plunges beneath the waves. Taylor dives, unleashing a barrage of depth charges that explode off the submarine's starboard side. As the crew of I-52 fights to control their descent, Taylor circles overhead, preparing to deploy one more weapon - a cutting-edge device to seal the submarine's fate…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KWZcM66rP0

Monstrous Bullets Vaporize Targets Before They Even See It Coming
As the arms race intensified, few could have anticipated the astonishing evolution of modern weaponry. Today, we delve into four groundbreaking munitions that redefine lethality on the battlefield.

In 1956, the Air Force unveiled the Lockheed F-104A Starfighter at Edwards Air Force Base, astonishing onlookers with its slender wings and incredible 1,500 miles per hour speed. However, it was a mysterious bump on the fuselage that truly captured attention — the introduction of the M61 Vulcan machine gun. With a jaw-dropping firing rate of 6,000 rounds per minute, this weapon revolutionized aerial combat, blending nearly a century of technological evolution with modern firepower.

As global tensions escalate, the German Bundeswehr has embraced the MANTIS, a rapid-response auto-defense system. Capable of firing 1,000 rounds in just one minute, this state-of-the-art arsenal can obliterate incoming threats with a response time of just 4.5 seconds. In a world of escalating warfare, the MANTIS stands as a formidable shield for Germany and its allies.

Meanwhile, the controversial Raufoss Mk 211 .50-caliber round has emerged as a topic of heated debate. Known for its unparalleled destructive capabilities, this multipurpose ammunition poses a dilemma for military leaders: should such devastating firepower be utilized, or is it too dangerous in populated areas? The whispers surrounding its potential on the battlefield continue to grow, fueling discussions on the ethics of warfare.

Lastly, we spotlight the groundbreaking EXACTO bullet, a self-steering innovation that could transform the role of snipers. Developed by DARPA, this remarkable round navigates environmental challenges with astonishing accuracy, giving soldiers the power to engage distant targets safely and effectively.
https://youtu.be/j0B9cV_bIDY?si=4oOuF_OLrjvQ7YuL

Inside the World's Largest Doomsday Bunker Community
An Epic Humanitarian Project the size Of A city:
575 private bunkers with space for thousands in one of North America's safest locations: The decommissioned US Army Black Hills Ordnance Depot at Igloo, South Dakota; south of Edgemont, SD.

Mankind has a continuing obsession with end of the world prophecies and judgement day. Any visible or invisible threat to life kicks our survival instincts into gear and we want to take action. The market capitalizes on this fear and pushes innovation and products that both feed and satisfy survivalism. I visited the Terra Vivos survival shelters in South Dakota last month.

This former US Army Base was constructed in 1942 and was called the Black Hills Ordnance Depot. It served as an explosives and munitions storage and maintenance facility. The bunkers measure 27 feet in width and 60 to 80 feet in length. The foundation is made of 2 to 3 feet of reinforced concrete. The walls are 12 inches thick and have a trench running down the sides. The interior space is 13 feet tall at their highest point. This entire survival shelter project is headed by Robert Vicino who has a background in manufacturing and real estate. His son, Dante Vicino gave us a tour of the Terra Vivos site and took us to some unfinished and completed bunkers.

The bunkers are completely off the grid. To make them livable, you have to consider 4 main utilities. Water, Sewage, Energy, Internet Access. They are structurally sound, so you don’t have to add any additional support or reinforcement. Soil in the area is stable unlike the clayey soil in Texas, so most of the 82 year old foundations are in great shape and don't have any cracks. The curved interior walls are made of board-formed concrete. You can still see the beautiful wood grain etched into the concrete. Working remotely is no longer an issue. Thermal mass of the 12 inch thick concrete walls store heat or thermal energy during the day and slowly release it at night when it’s cooler. It can be turned into a self-sufficient town with a supermarket, hardware store, bars and restaurants. I see a lot of similarities to Marfa which is a small desert city in West Texas. Marfa was also a military town in the 1940s but it was converted into a cultural hub by Donald Judd, a minimalist artist from New York City.

It’s an over-ambitious plan. Out of the 800 bunkers on site, the Vivos company wants to convert 575 of them. So far, only 50 have been purchased. The lease plan prevents you from ever owning your bunker. The wildlife like cows and deer that roam the site often climb on top of the bunkers causing erosion of the soil and grass, and exposing the concrete. Since it’s not “underground” it’s not as safe as other survival shelters that are buried 3 to 10 feet underground. The company is catering to a small group of people. They warn of nuclear war, bioterrorism, anarchy, electro-magnetic pulses, solar flares, super volcanoes, etc. If they marketed their bunkers as a way to protect family, life and belongings, it might be more popular with a larger group of people. Remote location. In the event of a disaster, you’d need a private plane to take you to Provo, South Dakota. It only works as a survival shelter if you are permanently living there. The nearest hardware store is in Hot Springs, about 45 minutes to an hour away. Vicino’s contractors designed layouts, but I wasn’t impressed with the quality of their work. Contamination of the subsurface soil and water supply is a concern to some residents in the area. Long term effects of living in a concrete box with no sunlight are also problematic.

It’s an exciting project with a lot of potential if a significant number of individuals move to the area. I don’t know what category these bunkers fit into. It’s not a luxury survival shelter, it’s not in a super-secure, secret location, it’s not conveniently located near a major city unless you consider Rapid City a major city; and it’s not underground. At best, it is an earth sheltered home or bungalow. I’m wary of it turning into a thriving community, unless their marketing strategy changes.
https://rumble.com/v5gidwh-inside-the-worlds-largest-doomsday-bunker-community.html

Detailed Analysis: Why Arabs Lose Wars?
This video based by article is a personal account of U.S. Army Colonel Norvell DeAtkine's experience in dealing with Arab militaries for over 40 years.

This video provides an in-depth analysis of the performance of Arabic-speaking armies in the modern era, examining their struggles and challenges across various historical conflicts. It begins by exploring how Egyptian regular forces faced difficulties against Yemeni irregulars in the 1960s, a period marked by intense military strategy shifts in the Middle East. Similarly, Syrians managed to assert control in Lebanon during the mid-1970s, but only through the use of overwhelming weaponry and numbers, rather than tactical brilliance.

One of the most notable examples of ineffectiveness came from the Iraqis during the 1980s when they were pitted against an Iranian military deeply affected by revolutionary turmoil. Despite the disarray in Iran, the Iraqis failed to secure a decisive victory and could not win a three-decade-long war against the Kurds. The Arab military performance on both sides of the 1990 Kuwait war was similarly underwhelming, highlighting the mediocre combat history of the region's forces, especially when compared to the more formidable Allied Forces and Axis Powers of World War II.

This video seeks to uncover why this unimpressive record persists, delving into a myriad of factors—economic, ideological, and technical—that have historically hampered Arab armies. Yet, perhaps the most critical factor is cultural, encompassing certain societal attributes that inhibit these forces from producing an effective military presence on the battlefield. The insights you will hear are grounded in the personal experiences of Norville B. De Atkin, who spent nearly three decades in the Middle East as a U.S. military attaché and security assistance officer. Through his lens, we gain an understanding of how military tactics are developed and implemented—or, as often is the case, how they fall short—due to deeply ingrained cultural practices.

It's a well-established truth in military history that an army fights as it is trained. Atkin's firsthand observations of Arab military training reveal much about how these forces approach modern warfare and why they frequently struggle to meet the demands of strategic warfare. Despite nearly 25 years passing since his initial assessments, it appears that little has changed in the effectiveness of these armies, especially when compared to other global forces.

The video also critiques the problematic nature of incorporating culture into strategic assessments. Historically, this approach has led to wild distortions, as seen with the U.S. Army in the 1930s, which misjudged the Japanese national character, leading to incorrect assumptions about their technological capabilities. Hitler's underestimation of the United States as a "mongrel society" similarly backfired, showing the dangers of relying too heavily on cultural stereotypes in warfare. These examples underscore the risk of making assumptions about military abilities based on cultural attributes, which often leads to overconfidence or, conversely, underestimation of an adversary's capabilities.

The video also touches on the evolution of military subculture over time, noting how past performances can lead to erroneous conclusions about future conflicts. The dismal French performance in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War misled the German high command into overestimating the French Army's capabilities during World War I. Conversely, Israeli generals underestimated the Egyptian Army in 1973, based on their lackluster performance in the 1967 war. Such examples illustrate how combat history can be a double-edged sword, influencing strategic decisions in both positive and negative ways.

Furthermore, the video explores how cultural factors—such as the highly centralized command structures in Arab militaries—stifle initiative and flexibility. This rigid hierarchy often leads to a lack of combined arms operations, where cooperation between different military branches, such as naval battles and air warfare, is critical for success.

In Western forces like the U.S. military, NCOs play a vital role in bridging the gap between officers and enlisted soldiers, fostering a sense of unit cohesion and military innovation. However, in many Arabic-speaking armies, NCOs are either absent or non-functional, leading to a breakdown in discipline and effectiveness, particularly in the stress of combat. This lack of a professional NCO corps further exacerbates the challenges these armies face in executing military tactics and maintaining military history.

The Most Terrifying Weapon the Nazis Feared
301,916 views Oct 21, 2023
The path to Berlin was nearly clear. Only three German lines between the River Maas and the River Rhine stood in the Allies’ way. To once and for all break into Germany, the Allies launched Operation Veritable on the morning of February 8, 1945,

Assembled in the valley were nearly 250,000 British and Canadian soldiers lined up shoulder-to-shoulder. With them came one of the heaviest British artillery barrages of the war, with hundreds of vehicles of all types, along with over 1,000 artillery guns, their steel barrels aimed directly at the enemy.

The Germans were dug-in, but the Allies had a card up their sleeve: one of their most terrifying innovations that even the most battle-hardened Nazi would fear.
https://youtu.be/qjYB7UkbaF0?si=K5if6eVKtl_1vwN0

Silicon Valley’s rattled by himself over prospect of tax
Silicon Valley is on edge due to the looming possibility of a new tax targeting unrealized gains. This tax proposal, which aims to levy taxes on the increasing value of assets before they are sold, has stirred significant anxiety among tech industrys. The concern is that it could disrupt the innovation ecosystem by imposing a financial burden on wealth that is not yet liquid, particularly affecting those whose fortunes are tied up in company shares. As discussions continue, the tech community remains tense, worried about the potential impact on startups and investments in the region.

IBM, following the closure of its China Research Laboratory, after a big loss of Talent and Innovation, over past years, represents a significant shift in its global strategy, particularly in the context of escalating, about the future of technological innovation and international cooperation in the face of increasing economy for all. These factors may have influenced IBM's decision to reduce its exposure to the Chinese market. So , this is, the potential implications of this decision for the broader tech industry?

Foreign-born American Amjad Masad: “The First Amendment is the most important institutional innovation in human history.” (2 min, 16 sec)
https://t.me/davidavocadowolfe/135611

Electric cars face several financial challenges that impact their widespread adoption and market growth. Here are some of the key financial problems they encounter:

High Initial Cost: The upfront cost of electric vehicles (EVs) is generally higher than that of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. This is largely due to the expensive battery technology that powers EVs.
Battery Costs: Although the cost of batteries has been decreasing, they still represent a significant portion of the total cost of an EV. Research and development to improve battery efficiency and reduce costs are ongoing but require substantial investment.
Infrastructure Investment: Building a widespread and reliable charging infrastructure requires significant financial investment. Governments and private companies need to collaborate to develop charging stations, which can be costly.
Research and Development: Continuous innovation in battery technology, vehicle design, and software development demands substantial funding. Companies need to invest heavily in R&D to stay competitive and advance EV technology.
Government Subsidies and Incentives: Many EV manufacturers rely on government subsidies and incentives to make their vehicles more affordable for consumers. The reduction or elimination of these subsidies can negatively impact sales and financial stability.
Economies of Scale: Traditional automakers have the advantage of economies of scale due to mass production. EV manufacturers, especially new entrants, may struggle to achieve similar cost efficiencies without large-scale production.
Consumer Perception and Demand: Despite growing interest in EVs, many consumers are still hesitant to switch from ICE vehicles due to concerns about range, charging availability, and resale value. This affects market demand and, consequently, financial performance.
Competition: The automotive industry is highly competitive, with many established players and new startups entering the EV market. This competition can drive down prices and profit margins, making it challenging for companies to remain financially viable.
Supply Chain Issues: Sourcing raw materials for batteries, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, can be expensive and subject to geopolitical and environmental issues. Supply chain disruptions can increase costs and impact production schedules.
Regulatory Compliance: Meeting stringent environmental and safety regulations requires continuous investment in compliance measures, which can be financially burdensome, especially for smaller manufacturers.
Addressing these financial challenges is crucial for the long-term success and sustainability of the electric vehicle industry. Collaboration between governments, manufacturers, and consumers is essential to overcome these hurdles and drive the adoption of electric vehicles.