Day: June 25, 2025

Was That A Mosquito Or A Drone?

I use to be an avid watcher of the TV series ‘Elementary’, a modern day Sherlock Holmes…..one episode was about an assassination of a guy by a drone in NYC and of course Sherlock was pressed into investigating….while he was a miniature drone was sent to keep an eye on his investigation, about the size of a fly….

I thought that was a Hell of an idea a miniature drone and its applications….

“Here in my hand is a mosquito-like type of robot. Miniature bionic robots like this one are especially suited to information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield,” Liang Hexiang, a student at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), told CCTV while holding up the drone between his fingers.

We’ve already entered the drone age. Once the stuff of science fiction, drones are now woven into everyday life. They inspect power lines, monitor endangered wildlife, and deliver medical supplies or even just groceries. But in warfare, their impact is most profound.

In conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East, drones have transformed modern warfare — used for everything from precision strikes to real-time surveillance and even psychological operations. Cheap, commercially available quadcopters can be outfitted with explosives or cameras, turning them into weapons or eyes in the sky. Militaries and militias alike have embraced them, shifting the balance of power away from traditional forces. As this technology becomes smaller, smarter, and more autonomous, drones are rewriting the rules of engagement.

It’s designed to mimic the flight of real insects. Two leaf-like wings flap rapidly to keep it airborne, while three hair-thin legs may help it land or perch on surfaces. Though the design is biologically inspired, the engineering is anything but natural. Inside the body, advanced power systems, miniature sensors, and control electronics must all be packed into a space no larger than a coin.

Its biggest advantage is stealth. If the drone escapes undetected, it can offer valuable information in an urban setting. It could also be used in search and rescue missions or even in electronic or mass surveillance.

https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/mosquito-china-drones/

Obviously this smaller size would be perfect for intel gathering but could it be fitted with a potent quick acting toxin and used to eliminate adversaries?

As the article states China is not the only country in search of smaller and smaller drones.

Fascinating stuff.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The ‘American Dream’ Has Died

If you are older than say 35 you heard about the American Dream most of your life….that is a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, a 2 car garage, 2.3 kids and a good job and a happy marriage…..but that dream is decaying as the years go by.

I recently wrote about this so-called ‘American Dream’ recently….

What Happened To The ‘American Dream’?

Here is a factoid to go with this post…..since 1978 workers income has risen 24% while CEO income has risen to 1000+%….so who is living the good life now?

That post attempted to explain what was happening to this concept….and the the country elected what could well be the final nail in the coffin….

Many immigrants embraced the concept of the ‘American Dream and in the process made this a better country….but that dream is sliding away….

There was once a time when the phrase “The American Dream” evoked images of opportunity—a place where hard work could elevate anyone, no matter their race, origin, or zip code; a melting pot of possibility. But in today’s America, that dream isn’t just fading—it’s been put on life support, and Donald Trump is hovering over it with a pillow.

With the latest rollout of Trump’s “voluntary deportation” initiative—complete with a convenient app, CBP Home, and a $1,000 travel stipend—his administration has made one thing painfully clear: the American Dream is no longer inclusive. It’s exclusive, strategic, and sanitized to favor a singular vision of what America “should” look like. Spoiler: it doesn’t include Black or Brown immigrants, innovation, or intellectual development.

Let’s call this what it is: state-sanctioned exile, wrapped in a digital bow and branded as “choice.” But when the “choices” are (a) leave with a stipend or (b) stay and risk arrest, detention, and permanent expulsion—how voluntary is that, really?

Make no mistake, Trump’s deportation program isn’t about law and order. It’s about erasure. It’s about reshaping the American identity to fit the white nationalist fantasy he and his base have been nurturing since before he descended that golden escalator. They’ve dressed it up as policy. But underneath, it’s just fear. Fear of change. Fear of equity. Fear of a future that doesn’t center whiteness.

What’s even more terrifying is that while Trump is busy targeting immigrants, his administration continues to gut the institutions that once gave America its competitive edge. Education? Slashed. STEM programs? Defunded. DEI initiatives? Dismantled. We’re not leading the world anymore—we’re lagging behind. Because you can’t innovate while waging war on knowledge. You can’t build a future while burning down access to it.

Thanks To Donald Trump, The American Dream Is Dead

But let’s look closer at what it will take to achieve this ‘Dream,’…..

Views vary widely by age and income. Two-thirds of Americans age 65 and older (68%) say the dream is still possible. Among those aged 50 to 64, the number is slightly lower at 61%. However, among adults under 50, only 42% think the dream is still attainable. Income tells a similar story. While 64% of upper-income Americans say the American dream is still achievable, only 39% of lower-income Americans agree. Middle-income Americans fall in between, with 56% saying the dream remains alive. While public opinion reveals how Americans feel about the dream, actual financial standings offer a different layer of insight.

https://scoop.upworthy.com/is-the-american-dream-still-achievable-heres-how-much-you-must-earn-in-2025-to-be-middle-class-ex1

If asked what will you tell your children about the American Dream?

That is the question that needs an answer.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

How Did It Happen?

That is the ceasefire that is struggling right now come together to try and stop the insanity…..I am so glad you asked….

One name is emerging as a key figure in helping President Trump secure a ceasefire between Israel and Iran—the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. A rough chronology, from various reports.

  • On Monday afternoon, shortly after Iran’s relatively low-key retaliation against the US, Trump called Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and secured a pledge to a ceasefire, reports the New York Times.
  • Trump then spoke with the Qatari emir to ask for help in getting Iran to agree as well, reports Reuters. Al Thani spoke with Iranian officials by phone and did so, according to the account.
  • When both sides agreed, Trump announced the deal on Truth Social, and it caught many administration officials by surprise, per the Times. However, three in the loop were Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. All three had been using “direct and indirect” channels to convey messages to Iran, according to the account.
  • Rubio also reportedly spoke with Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who is also believed to have helped sway the Iranians, perhaps in tandem with the emir.
  • Axios reports that Trump actually began pushing in earnest for a ceasefire on Saturday, after American bombers hit Iranian nuclear sites. The president instructed Witkoff that day “to communicate to the Iranians his desire “to negotiate a deal to end the war,” the report says. Iranian initially rebuffed him, saying it planned to retaliate first.

Thank you to all involved to help this insanity de-escalate.

But how did Donny accomplish this after the rocky start?

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding after it got off to a shaky start, and President Trump publicly urged Israel to stop the bombing.

Trump announced the truce on Monday night, which was followed by heavy Israeli attacks on Tehran. Iran then hit back with several waves of ballistic missile strikes.

“[Iran] violated it, but Israel violated it too,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn before boarding Marine One to go to the NATO summit in The Hague. “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before, the biggest load that we’ve seen. I’m not happy with Israel.”

When Trump announced the ceasefire, he said it would take effect in 12 hours. “When I say, ok, now you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either, but I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning because of one rocket,” Trump said.

“We have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f–k they are doing,” the president added.

(antiwar.com)

Great job but I am a bit suspicious….but that is my nature….my bad.

On another front….after the airstrikes on the Iranian nuke sites we were told that they were ‘obliterated’…..hold the phone!

The US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran were not as successful as President Trump claimed they were, according to details of an early intelligence assessment leaked to outlets including CNN. Trump said the Saturday strikes “completely obliterated” nuclear facilities but according to CNN’s sources, core components of Iran’s nuclear program, including its stockpile of enriched uranium, survived and the US strikes only set the program back “maybe a few months, tops.”

  • Sources tell the Washington Post that the Defense Intelligence Agency report, based on the Pentagon’s early assessment of damage, also concluded that many of the centrifuges Iran uses to enrich uranium survived the strikes on the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites. Sources said the strikes collapsed the entrances to two of the sites but did not destroy underground buildings.
  • Experts who looked at satellite photos earlier called the strikes “incomplete.” Reuters reports that the Trump administration told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday that the strikes had “degraded” the program.
  • The assessment could change as more intelligence comes in, CNN notes. The White House said it rejected the report. “This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program.”
  • Classified Iran briefings for the House and Senate were postponed on Tuesday. Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, tells the Post that many lawmakers believe the hearings were delayed because the administration is embarrassed by the early intelligence reports. “They don’t delay briefings that have good news,” he says.

Only time will tell….if the reports are true then how long will it be before Israel starts their push for more US involvement?

Anyone want to venture a guess?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“Lego ergo scribo”