GM Spending a bit of time chatting with a few of the various LLM's out there to explore the transfer of power from Venetian bankers in the 15th and 16th centuries up into the Netherlands n the 17th century. Didn't realize the Warburgs were originally from Venice -- among another few still prominent families (DuPont comes to mind). Pretty crazy how quickly you can get back to just about Roman times by bouncing from London through Amsterdam and then Venice as centers of power. The more of this I look into the less EM Burlingame seems like a kook for calling everyone Praetorians...

How is it Saturday afternoon and I still have 18 hours left in my podcast queue? Have y'all been recording more than usual this week, or did I really get that behind on listening? Hope this was preloading for a holiday lull because I'm going to have to stop sleeping as much to get caught up soon if not.

It is wild that somehow Dubai chocolate running $25 a bar is trending on Tiktok even as people talk about not being able to afford rent. I'm not saying you can afford rent for that $25 by any means, but like, it doesn't get much more black pilled than giving up to the point where you're instead spending it on a chocolate bar. Not surprised people with money are moving away -- I would NOT want to be here as a multimillionaire when the spark hits this tinderbox of people who feel they have nothing left to lose. The only real solace any of us have is how out of shape they are. But it turns out, weaponry can be a pretty great equalizer. And houses don't run fast. Luckily Bitcoin is immune, as long as they don't know which meat popsicle to beat a key out of...