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"I've played the [Grand Ole] Opry a whole bunch of times, and I don't get invited to the Opry anymore."

The Economics Of The Surveillance State

Authored by  John Wilder,

“That was a Beria operation in Stalin’s time.  It was deactivated twenty years ago.”

– The Living Daylights

How did KGB agents commit suicide?  Two shots to the back of the head.  (all photo content as-found)

Remember Lavrentiy Beria’s cheerful advice:  “Show me the man, and I will find the crime”?  Back in the Soviet Union they had so many laws on the books that everybody broke at least one before lunch, I mean, when lunch was available.  And if they didn’t, they could make up something.  Beria just needed enough spies and informants to spot the right violation.

Beria would have loved modern America.  We’ve upgraded his whole operation with better cameras, faster computers, and added actual profit margins.

Let’s start with Flock™ cameras.

Flock Safety© cameras now line roads from coast to coast.  More than 100,000 of the little snitches sit on poles in ditches scanning license plates 24/7 and however many metric hours in a metric day and metric days in a metric week.  The cameras rolled out one quiet law enforcement contract at a time until the whole country is now blanketed.

Not everyone who comes into your life is your friend.  Some are just surveillance cameras. (btw, she was innocent, but the police didn’t apologize)

Maps of the cameras exist online, but those rely on humans, and it shows only three of the eight within five miles of my house in Modern Mayberry.  I could plot an avoidance route if I had nothing better to do than play spy versus spy on my commute, or build a detector like Benn Jordan did.

Most of us have jobs and families instead.  But, hey, we’ve funded a system so that every time you get on the road, you’re creating a record that will last as long as they have storage.  And cops can now use this to stalk their ex-wives, so it’s a double win, right?

How did the farmer stalk his ex?  He tractor.

Next up?

Ring™ doorbells joined the neighborhood watch program without asking their “owner’s” permission.  When several co-eds were murdered in Idaho a couple of years ago, investigators pulled Ring© footage to track a suspect’s car.  A subpoena moves quicker than a polite request and never waits for the doorbell to be answered, so they got all the data that they needed to catch the guy.  I’m okay with catching murderers, but how many people will be caught in fishing dragnets for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Where exactly are you going at 2 a.m., citizen?

Laptops aren’t safe, either.

A hacker got grabbed in Finland on his way out of the country.  Prosecutors used the connection with Microsoft’s© handy Global Device Identifier™ to identify him.  One persistent number tied his computer to all the mischief.  Microsoft® handed over the records after the usual court paperwork and a feeble, “oh, stop . . . customer privacy . . . .”  My operating system apparently keeps better tabs on me than my own mother, but at least Ma Wilder has the excuse of being dead.

I wonder if my FBI agent likes the jokes I make?

Then there is Windows Recall© on the fancy new Copilot™ machines.  It snaps pictures of your screen every few seconds while you work and builds a searchable scrapbook of everything you looked at.  Local storage only

They promise.  Pinky swear, even.

Still feels like my laptop decided to start a scrapbooking hobby without telling me first.

Besides, my ISP already knows every site you visit and how long you lingered.  Edward Snowden spilled the beans years ago on the big programs that pulled data straight from the servers of Microsoft™, Google®, Apple©, Facebook™ and the Rest®.  Fiber-optic taps caught traffic in bulk, Then three-letter outfits and tech companies worked hand in glove.

The result is giant databases full of regular people doing regular things.  But don’t worry!  If you’ve been good, you’re fine.  And if you’re Hillary Clinton or Jeff Epstein, all the data will be lost.

Big Tech loves this data game because it prints money for them.  They track my habits down to the weirdest details (really, kittens eating salami?) and sell the profiles to insurers, advertisers, and anyone else with a checkbook.

My patterns become their product.  They turn my life into a spreadsheet and then mark it up like a used-car dealer who knows you really need that transmission fixed today.

Speaking of cars, they’re getting chatty, too.

Modern ones log every trip, every hard brake, every late-night drive.  Some already phone home to the manufacturer and won’t work unless the software license is up to date.  Insurance companies will pay good money for a direct feed on how I actually drive instead of guessing from your age and ZIP code.

Soon enough, the car might call the cops if it thinks I had one too many.  My pickup turns into the world’s most expensive designated snitch.

Hopefully, during the 4th of July holiday you didn’t get distracted and miss the big picture:  The British blew a 13 colony lead.

Ninety-nine percent of us carry cell phones that never stop reporting.  Every search, every video, every song gets logged.  Cops have started treating a phone left at home like suspicious behavior (I’m not making this up).  The little rectangle in your pocket is the most reliable witness I never hired.

Big companies with this much reach do have a kryptonite®:  governments.  They do exactly what the government asks.  They bent over backwards to limit talk about COVID and elections under the last administration.  Books and posts that wandered off the approved script vanished from platforms:  I know, I made a COVID joke on a podcast and it was sent to podcast jail.

The same tools will work just as well for whoever sits in the big chair next.  They already proved they can move fast when someone important asks nicely.

Harvey Silverglate spelled this out in his book Three Felonies a Day.  Federal law has grown so broad and fuzzy that a decent prosecutor can usually find something to charge anyone with.  Normal life now sits inside a minefield of possible violations.  Add constant surveillance and the minefield gets floodlights, motion sensors, and a searchable menu.

Stalin put a ? after the name of every traitor:  they question Marx.

The Code of Federal Regulations stretches to roughly 190,000 pages or almost the number of words in a GloboLeftist meme. Rules multiply every year.  Nobody can read the whole thing, and if they did, another 10,000 pages would have been added in the meantime.  When surveillance supplies the evidence, the vague laws and regulations become precision weapons.  Who cares if you’re guilty?  Just being charged is punishment for the innocent.  The process is the point.

Government and Big Tech® now hold detailed maps of where you drive, what you read, who you talk to, and how you spend your time.  Also notice that they don’t bother to use these to catch murderers in Chicago or gang criminals.  No, they’re encouraging that violence.

Beria ran on fear and informants.  The updated model runs on sensors, algorithms, and sweet quarterly earnings.  It costs less to operate and reaches farther and hardly ever complains about running out of vodka.  The economics make perfect sense for the people building it, because collecting the data is cheap once the hardware is installed.

The Surveillance State runs on convenience for the watchers and profit for the builders. Beria would have been jealous of the efficiency and probably asked for stock options.

Don’t you love it when totalitarian communism and capitalism overlap?

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/11/2026 - 23:20

Each basket then faced the ultimate test, with fry fanatic and California Post producer Steve Nevills serving as the official taste tester.

A local DJ and members of the well-known Bahamian music group Da Pond Band were among those killed in a fiery plane crash that claimed the lives of all 10 people on board on Friday.

Which States Produce The Most Food In America?

From California’s fruit and vegetable farms to the Midwest’s vast corn and soybean fields, agriculture looks very different across the United States.

Using the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), this graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, ranks every state by its agricultural production value in 2024.

America’s Largest Agricultural Economies

The table below shows each state’s agricultural production value in 2024.

Together, the top 10 states account for well over half of America’s agricultural production value. Geography, climate, water availability, and decades of specialization have helped create distinct regional farming economies across the country.

California Remains America’s Agricultural Giant

California generated $67.4 billion in agricultural production value in 2024, nearly twice as much as any other state.

Its combination of specialty crops, fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy, and favorable growing conditions allows it to produce more agricultural value than any other U.S. state despite accounting for only a small share of the nation’s farmland.

Texas, another large state by both population and land area, ranks third nationally, generating $37.6 billion driven largely by cattle production.

The Midwest Is America’s Food Engine

While California tops the rankings individually, the Midwest dominates collectively.

The region accounts for 44% of U.S. agricultural production value, powered by states including Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, and Illinois. Taken together, these states produce over 60% of America’s corn volume.

Many Midwestern states also specialize in soybeans, livestock, and dairy, forming the backbone of both the U.S. food system and global agricultural exports. This makes the Midwest one of the world’s leading agricultural production corridors.

A Diverse Agricultural Economy

Agricultural strength varies widely by region. Western states generate high-value specialty crops, vineyards, and dairy, while Southern states are major producers of poultry, cotton, rice, and cattle. Although Northeastern agriculture is smaller by value, it remains an important source of dairy, produce, and regional food supply.

This regional specialization helps make the U.S. one of the world’s leading agricultural producers and food exporters, supplying both domestic consumers and global markets alike.

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the states with the most farmland.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/11/2026 - 22:45

The Post’s report on the fetid homeless camps springing up on Manhattan’s far West Side, near the Intrepid Museum, is the latest result of a heartless policy from Mayor Mamdani.

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Next-Gen Ramjet Fuel Propulsion System For Future Offensive, Defensive Missions Tested

Authored by Prabhat Ranjan Mishra via Interesting Engineering,

L3Harris has taken a significant step toward advancing next-generation propulsion technology for future offensive and defensive missions.

The approach marks an essential risk reduction step in enabling solid fuel ramjet propulsion to help close a critical performance, and cost gap. (Representational image)

The company revealed that a recent test demonstrated progress toward a high-performance, lower-cost propulsion option. The test also met the Department of War's goal to provide superior advanced weapon systems, at affordable mass, that will outpace adversaries and expand the range of solutions available to the warfighter.

"This test is an important step in proving solid fuel ramjet propulsion can deliver the speed, range and affordability our customers need," said Scott Alexander, President, Missile Propulsion, L3Harris.

"We are reducing risk now so we can move faster toward a scalable capability for the warfighter."

Full-Scale Test Of New Solid Fuel Ramjet Fuel Grain

L3Harris highlighted that the event marked the company's first full-scale test of a new solid fuel ramjet fuel grain specially formulated to significantly reduce the cost of fuel when compared to historical industry standards.

During the ground test, the team ignited and operated the system in a direct connect flight-representative environment, allowing engineers to evaluate performance across a large portion of the simulated flight envelope. Initial results showed propulsion levels were consistent with expectations for flight operation, giving the team valuable data as it continues to refine the design towards tactical missile system demonstration, according to a press release.

Disciplined Approach Marks An Essential Risk Reduction

This test event helps validate key performance characteristics as L3Harris accelerates towards flight testing, and this disciplined approach marks an essential risk reduction step in enabling solid fuel ramjet propulsion to help close a critical performance and cost gap for the U.S. military and allies.

"We are answering the Department of War's call for longer-reach, more capable, lower-cost propulsion that is producible at the scale needed," said Joel Warhurst, Director, Business Development, L3Harris.

"We are designing for manufacturing, performance and production capacity with a straightforward goal of more speed, more range at a cost point that supports affordable mass."

With additional ground testing planned, the company is moving quickly from test data and refinement to tactical missile flight demonstration - advancing a propulsion solution designed for the speed, scale and affordability future missions will require, as per the release.

The latest test also demonstrates the company's expanding expertise in advanced propulsion technologies following its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne's missile propulsion business. By combining propulsion innovation with modern manufacturing techniques, L3Harris aims to accelerate the delivery of next-generation missile systems to military customers.

As global defense requirements continue to evolve, advanced ramjet propulsion is expected to play a crucial role in future missile systems by providing higher sustained speeds, extended engagement ranges, and improved survivability against sophisticated air defense networks. The successful demonstration positions L3Harris as one of the key industry players working to advance high-speed propulsion technologies for future operational needs.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/11/2026 - 22:10

David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Mick Jagger, Venus Williams, Coco Gauff, Luis Suarez and dozens of soccer legends packed Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for England vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal, the city's final match of the tournament.

The LA City Council voted 12-0 late last month to put a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot that could allow members to reduce council meetings to once per week.

The betting markets are speaking in droves.

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Yankees catcher Austin Wells homered in back-to-back games after having just one in his previous 38 games dating to May 1.

California Ex-Police Official Tops State Payroll With $1.2 Million Payday

Former Redlands Police Deputy Chief Travis Martinez received nearly $1.2 million in wages in 2025, the highest reported compensation for any city employee in California, according to newly released data from the State Controller's Office and reporting by the New York Post.

Payroll records show Martinez collected $81,804 in regular pay, $890,467 in other compensation and $231,099 in lump-sum payments before retiring in April. The city also contributed roughly $55,900 toward his retirement and health benefits, bringing his total compensation package to about $1.26 million.

The State Controller's Office publishes annual payroll data for public employees, while public records compiled by Transparent California identified the employee as Martinez.

The Post writes that according to the Orange County Register, the unusually large payout stemmed from a settlement that resolved a lengthy dispute between Martinez and the city. He had been on paid administrative leave for about 18 months before retiring in April 2025. As part of the agreement, Martinez retired and dropped a legal claim against the city in exchange for a settlement reportedly worth about $872,000.

In a 2023 claim, Martinez alleged city officials retaliated against him after he reported what he described as misconduct within the police department. Among other allegations, he said he raised concerns about efforts to conceal evidence related to a fatal Metrolink train crash and reported claims of sexual misconduct involving then-Deputy Chief Mike Reiss to the FBI after concluding the matter was not being properly addressed internally.

Martinez remained on paid leave until his retirement. Separately, allegations against Reiss have resulted in multiple legal settlements for the city. Reiss retired in 2023 after being accused of grooming and sexually harassing several department employees, while former Police Chief Chris Catren retired days earlier, denying any connection to the controversy.

Over the past three years, Redlands has approved more than $3.3 million in settlements related to sexual harassment lawsuits involving Reiss. In his legal filing, Martinez described his 29-year career as exemplary and alleged he was repeatedly denied promotions because he refused to overlook misconduct within the department.

Tyler Durden Sat, 07/11/2026 - 21:35

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