The blogger was surprised to learn that Kalshi Inc., the burgeoning on line prediction aka betting market is now immersed in local San Francisco ballot measures.
Given the fact the site was established in San Francisco eight years ago the gambling interest in local ballot measures is still a surprise.
Even Proposition G, the attempt to destroy Sunset Dunes Park, has garnered the interest of bettors.
Kalshi Inc. is a prediction market platform based in Manhattan, New York City, that launched in July 2021. The platform is used primarily for sports betting, which constitutes more than 90% of site activity[3][4] and 89% of revenue in 2025.[5] Analysts describe activity on the platform as “heavily tied to the sports calendar”.[6] Individuals can place bets on other future outcomes, including economic indicators, weather patterns, awards, political and legislative outcomes, and military conflicts.
Initially, the project was named “Kownig”.[18] In November 2020, Kalshi attained a license from the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), registering the platform as a designated contract market and the first regulated platform to trade directly on the outcomes of events and event contracts.[19][20][21] The site was publicly launched in July 2021.[22]Kalshi – Wikipedia
Kalshi founder Tare Mansour was recently interviewed on the PBS News Hour
Can Vladimir Putin’s increasingly aggressive actions against Germany force the government to bring back compulsory military service?
It’s hard to fathom the idea that Germany could conceive of bringing forced military service back to the country.
Conscripts are never happy about being dragooned into the military. Think of the United States and its involvement in the Vietnam conflict. 1961-1975.. A Civil War which successive administrations poured hundreds of the thousands of young Americans into a senseless war. Over 50,000 Americans perished.Many of whom were conscripted young men at the margins of society. Black, Hispanic and White, too.
The classic anti-war anthem, “War. What is it good for?? Absolutely nothing!!” Edwin Starr – 1970
Given Germany’s hellacious Nazi regime (1933-1945) resulting in World War II and the Holocaust today’s German youth are quite rightfully taking to the streets in protest of any proposed conscript military.
Deutsche Welle 10.17.2026
Experts believe that, so far, Germany has been ill-prepared — both militarily and mentally — for Russian provocations. They also warn against the idea that ending support for Ukraine would make Germany safer.
The perceived security threat has led the German military, the Bundeswehr, to fast-track significant modernization through substantial investment. But it is struggling to find enough recruits for its planned expansion. Many young Germans have taken to the streets to protest against plans to reintroduce conscription. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius faced criticism from inside his own party, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), for saying that Germany must become “capable of waging war.” Many found the statement to be too militaristic.
Is Germany prepared for a military threat? “Not at all. Germany is not well prepared militarily or in the civilian sector, and the population isn’t mentally prepared for it either,” said Meister. “Just look at the demonstrations against conscription and the military that continue to take place, even though Germany needs a draft. For decades, we’ve grown up in this culture of pacifism, in a comfort zone. I believe there is very limited societal resilience, but above all, we are not at all mentally prepared for war.”
The Rich want War..The Youth a Future… Young Germans take to the streets
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are under increasing political pressure — especially from the far right — to scale back support for Ukraine. But Merz never tires of emphasizing that Ukraine will continue to receive support under his chancellorship, calling it a matter of Germany’s security. He recently visited Kyiv once again and, together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, surveyed the destruction caused by Russia.
But this also means that the threat from Russia will continue and even intensify, says Stefan Meister: “I believe we will see a massive increase in attacks such as the one in Leipzig, of provocations involving drones. We will see attacks on infrastructures and possibly also on specific individuals within the military-industrial complex. I believe this is the real, concrete danger facing Germany in the coming months.”
The Kaiser San Francisco French Campus Vaccine Clinic
Going for the annual flu shot at the neighborhood Kaiser French Campus is akin to standing in the airport security line.
On the blogger’s first attempt earlier in the week mid morning the line stretched through the corridor. Thinking it would be better to go mid afternoon I deferred and came back a day later.
If anything the afternoon queue was longer. I steeled myself and 40 minutes later was fully vaccinated and good to go for another year.
Following is a photo collage of my in line waiting experience.
Beginning the vaccine wait
The outside view looks far away
Hurry up and wait as the old saying goes
A DANGER zone near the vaccine line
Thankfully, the wait is nearly over
After the vaccine the blogger looks back at the queue
40 minutes later. All shot up and ready to come home
On this date, the third anniversary of the murderous Hamas attack against Israel, the controversial documentary NAZA landed like a bombshell at the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Filmmakers Rachel Szor, left, and Yuval Abraham
The showing was sold out. Outside a contingent of protestors, outraged that his film is being shown on this particular date, circled the venue in protest. The protest is understandable.
Equally understandable is the observation by the blogger.
Some Jewish people think Genocide in Gaza is just fine. After all the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), supported with the most lethal weaponry have killed over 70,000 people in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Devastation in Gaza by the Israeli military has killed over 70,000 people in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Why is this woman laughing?
A slaughter bordering on Genocide which might have been avoided had Bibi Netanyahu listened to the now well documented warnings he received prior to the Hamas crime against Israel.
The blogger has read many spy novels. Particularly those written by John Le Carre. Therefore it comes as a shock only in the sense that Life can be stranger than fiction.
Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 10.6.2026
Michaela Kufner, Chief Political Editor of Deutsche Welle was unsparing in her critical comments.
Spy vs Spy – “There’s never a good time to discover that your former chief of intelligence might have sold the country (Germany) out.”
“A movie will be made out of this.”
“There’s never a good time to discover that your former chief of intelligence might have sold the country (Germany) out.”
“This is not only a loss of face. It’s a loss of credibility for the German foreign intelligence BND both externally, but also internally.”
“Huge damage done in real time.”
A sampling of the John Le Carre novels in the blogger’s collection
The former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, the BND, has been accused of spying for a foreign country. Never before has a German official of August Hanning’s stature been accused of treason.
If the allegations are confirmed, it would be an espionage case of historic proportions for Germany: August Hanning, former head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has been arrested, with the federal prosecutor accusing him of espionage, treason and attempted treason.
A coffee mug of the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. Gift from the German foreign office http://www.diplo.de
August Hanning, now 80, headed the BND from 1998 to 2005. But even before then, he had enjoyed a meteoric rise within the security apparatus. After leaving the BND, he served as state secretary in the Federal Interior Ministry, then moved into the private sector and worked as a security consultant.
According to the federal prosecutor’s office, his informant was his former chief-of-staff, named in the statement only as Manfred D.*, who went on to hold this position under Hanning’s successors from March 2012 to March 2026. D. thus had access to a great deal of classified information.
The blogger needs not write any introductory comments. Just open the attached New York Times article and read it.
Another tragic event in Ohio the result of a dispute involving the President. In May 1970 the President was Richard Nixon. In October 2026 the President is Donald Trump.
Mary Ann Vecchio gestures and screams as she kneels by the body of a student lying face down on the campus of Kent State University, Kent, Ohio on May 4, 1970. The day a Vietnam War protest ended with National Guard shootings that left four dead. (AP Photo/John Filo)
Excerpted from The New York Times 10.5.2026
What happened between two dog owners one April afternoon in Ohio will soon be scrutinized by a judge and jury as both men grapple with the consequences.
Before any criminal charges were filed, before any weapons were drawn, before anybody mentioned the president, a dog named Bob wanted to go to the park.
The events that unfolded over 20 minutes — pieced together from interviews, records and body camera footage — would be unusual, but hardly unthinkable in a country where political tensions so often combust. Two men, one Black and liberal, one white and conservative, would disagree about President Trump. Their disagreement would become an argument, then a screaming match and then, because both men had guns in their cars, a crime.
Bob’s owner, David Mattai, had the week off from his job as a forklift mechanic. Mr. Mattai, 55, first tried taking Bob on a hiking trail, but the spaniel refused to walk. So Mr. Mattai drove to his favorite dog park in Bainbridge Township, Ohio.
At a picnic table inside the park that April afternoon was Emmanuel Mathews, 80, and his corgi, Frankie.
Mr. Mathews was retired from a career as a meat distributor, and on the days when his back wasn’t causing him problems he was a regular at the park. He had brought a copy of The Wall Street Journal with headlines that included “Trump Grapples With Fears on War.”
Bob’s owner, David Mattai, 55, had the week off from his job as a forklift mechanic.
Untitled photo – Lee Heidhues – 10.5.2026
At a picnic table inside the park that April afternoon was Emmanuel Mathews, 80, and his corgi, Frankie.
Happiness is a Warm Gun – The Beatles“When I feel ,my finger on your trigger, I know no one can do me no harm.”
A pregnant Ukrainian woman being carried away after a Russian drone assault
Just when you think Donald Trump is the most powerful narcissist, think again. His buddy Vladimir Putin is worse because, unlike America, he has total unchallenged authority.
Something Trump can only wish for. That is why he cozies up to authoritarians like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Purin.
Excerpted from Foreign Affairs 9.24.2026
For now, the Kremlin believes that it has both the time and the means to continue fighting for as long as it takes (in Ukraine).
Vladimir Putin is incapable of doubting that he is right.
Vladimir Putin as KGB agent in Dresden, Germany – circa 1980’s
Along with the stage-managed Duma elections, the purging of any trace of antiwar rhetoric from the public sphere is intended to grant Putin a stronger mandate for whatever actions he sees fit to take. An unknown question is how far into the future Russians are prepared to grant this legitimacy.
So far, it has been up to citizens themselves to cope with the burning oil refineries, destroyed warehouses, empty gas stations, nonfunctioning Internet, and life-threatening risks from drone attacks. In addition to chronic inflation, the budget deficit has become a problem, and Russia’s GDP and industrial production are hovering just above zero. This is despite the fact that, until recently, arms production had formally kept these indicators at a moderately high level; now, even that is no longer helping.
After a Russian drone attack in Ukraine – June 2026
In the face of these challenges, people are bearing with the system for now. It is also worth noting that the same surveys that show Russians are less satisfied with the special military operation than they were before also show that greater numbers of them prefer intensifying strikes over making concessions to achieve peace.
More than half the respondents in an August Levada Center poll think it is likely that the special military operation will last another year, and the number of those who say they are certain of this has grown. Precisely because of their utter exhaustion with war, many see increased military activity as a way to bring peace closer.
The blogger and longtime San Francisco Green Party member continues to be baffled.
One person in response to my bafflement wrote, “There’s definitely a generational (Green Party) divide within the “Progressive” camp with older ones that are still car-centric.”
I am definitely “older” and on the far side of that “generational (Green Party Divide).
I ask myself why do some so called “Progressive” organizations, advocacy groups and individuals oppose car free spaces in San Francisco?
The stale worn out excuse I hear is that people need their cars. It may be true elsewhere but not in San Francisco.
In the upcoming November 3rd election Proposition G, put on the ballot by a small group of entitled motorists would destroy Sunset Dunes Park. This is the third time in four years San Francisco voters are voting on this measure. In 2022 and 2024 voters said they want the oceanside park.
So, it comes as a surprise that the San Francisco Green Party and the “Progressive” Pissed Off Voter Guide are not taking a position on the measure.
I suppose it’s an improvement for the Green Party. In 2024 the Greens urged a NO vote on Proposition K which passed with nearly 55 percent and made the now named Sunset Dunes Park permanent.
Richmond Review ‘Official Party Endorsements’ – October 2026
San Francisco November 2024 Voter Guide with its NO ON K recommendation. This measure approved by nearly 55 percent resulted in the creation of Sunset Dunes Park
Pissed Off Vote Guide has ‘No Position on Prop G. A NO vote will save Sunset Dunes Park which was approved by the Voters in November 2024 with a 54.73 percent majority
Israeli military rejects allegations portrayed in ‘NAZA’
What else do you expect from the murderous Israeli military after it murdered over 70,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023?
The truth hurts, eh.
Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 10.2.2026
When it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in mid-September, “NAZA” received a 25-minute-long standing ovation and the Special Jury Prize. But in Israel, the documentary has fueled heated debate.
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar described the work of filmmakers Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham “treason against the state” and urged that their citizenship be revoked. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also sharply criticized the documentary.
Israel’s culture minister wants to strip the makers of a documentary on Israel’s Gaza offensive of their citizenship. He accused the two of seeking “applause from antisemites around the world.”
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar described the work of filmmakers Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham “treason against the state”No Other Land (Arabic: لا أرض أخرى, romanized: Lā arḍ ukhrá) is a 2024 documentary film directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor, in their directorial debut. A Palestinian-Israeli collective of activists, the four conceived and produced the film in what they describe as an act of resistance on the path to justice in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The film was recorded between 2019 and 2023 and shows the destruction of Masafer Yatta, a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank, which had been resisting forced displacement after an Israeli “firing zone” was declared on their land.[4][5]
Now the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has also rejected the film’s allegations about its conduct during the war in Gaza. In a multi-page document, the military accuses the filmmakers of presenting a “distorted, misleading and disingenuous picture.” The film, it says, is based on “substantial factual errors” resulting from “manipulative misrepresentations of reality.”
The 80-minute documentary examines the Israel Defense Forces’ operations during the war in Gaza. It is based on interviews conducted with 24 anonymous military and intelligence personnel, who describe internal procedures and decision-making processes involved in selecting targets in the Gaza Strip. According to the interviewees, high civilian casualty estimates were, in some cases, deliberately factored into these decisions.
The military accuses the filmmakers of omitting important facts. According to the IDF, the film fails to show the role of military legal advisors and commanders in reviewing and authorizing attacks or the measures it says it takes to protect civilians.
It also argues that the film does not adequately address the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which over 1,200 people were killed and 250 people were taken hostage.
The aftermath of 2000 lb. dropped on Gaza by Israel. Supplied by the American taxpayers
The Israel Defense Forces are totally intertwined with Donald Trump’s money making son-in-law Jared Kushner. A relationship which has had disastrous consequences for the people of Gaza
Top photo: Palestine graveyard – Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War – Plato
To know there are people expectantly waiting outside the Tennessee prison where Christa Pike will be executed. Mistakenly thinking justice will have been served.
Christa Pike’s crime, committed when she was just 18 years old, will not bring back the dead.
Edvard Munch – Vampire
A civilized nation does not commit state sanctioned executions.
