Freaknout
@freaknout.bsky.social
Dude in NZ.
Not the only one obvoiusly. There are others.
Other dudes.
Here...
Not the only one obvoiusly. There are others.
Other dudes.
Here...
Reposted by Freaknout
Fucking hell chill out lads, it's just bookshelves and meatballs.
IKEA has finally landed in New Zealand, sparking flat-pack fever, soul-searching about national identity and a debate over global sameness. Read more: bloom.bg/49Tr7aF
📷️: Phil Walter/Getty Images
📷️: Phil Walter/Getty Images
December 7, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Fucking hell chill out lads, it's just bookshelves and meatballs.
Reposted by Freaknout
Two days after Witkoff and Kushner met Putin, the Treasury Department partially suspended sanctions on Russia announced last October
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
Trump envoys press plan with Ukraine as sanctions eased on Russia
President Donald Trump's envoys were to meet Thursday with Ukrainian negotiators for the third time in two weeks to press his plan to end the war as his administration eased economic pressure on Russi...
www.france24.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Two days after Witkoff and Kushner met Putin, the Treasury Department partially suspended sanctions on Russia announced last October
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
Reposted by Freaknout
So… the Epstein File Transparency Act has this exception. What can go wrong….
November 20, 2025 at 7:59 AM
So… the Epstein File Transparency Act has this exception. What can go wrong….
Reposted by Freaknout
Former colleagues of mine at the BoE went to work in the Fed and are still there. I wonder what they are dealing with now. This new blow to the quality of statistics. The pressure on Powell and the looming threat of a crazy new Chair. The budget pressures on research. The anti DEI policies.
August 1, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Former colleagues of mine at the BoE went to work in the Fed and are still there. I wonder what they are dealing with now. This new blow to the quality of statistics. The pressure on Powell and the looming threat of a crazy new Chair. The budget pressures on research. The anti DEI policies.
Reposted by Freaknout
#StaceyAbrams explains how to achieve an #autocracy in 10 steps.
We're at step 9.
The military is in our streets. Is our democracy worth the effort to defend it?
We're at step 9.
The military is in our streets. Is our democracy worth the effort to defend it?
July 9, 2025 at 7:18 PM
#StaceyAbrams explains how to achieve an #autocracy in 10 steps.
We're at step 9.
The military is in our streets. Is our democracy worth the effort to defend it?
We're at step 9.
The military is in our streets. Is our democracy worth the effort to defend it?
Reposted by Freaknout
April 4, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Reposted by Freaknout
Nearly budget time... When the media & politicos salivate over the 'return to budget surplus' date, remember that this is increasingly a weird kiwi thing. The G20, G7, Euro area, advanced economies (as groups) haven't run a budget surplus for over 30 years. [🧵1/n]
April 5, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Nearly budget time... When the media & politicos salivate over the 'return to budget surplus' date, remember that this is increasingly a weird kiwi thing. The G20, G7, Euro area, advanced economies (as groups) haven't run a budget surplus for over 30 years. [🧵1/n]
Reposted by Freaknout
My favourite dataset is out. Shows who is piling into debt and who is (literally) taking the credit. The current account matters.
April 3, 2025 at 12:01 AM
My favourite dataset is out. Shows who is piling into debt and who is (literally) taking the credit. The current account matters.
Reposted by Freaknout
Little run through an old favourite since it's GDP and Balance of Payments week...
My favourite three macro datasets show the amount of money added into our domestic economy (Govt deficit spend in pink + net bank lending in blue) and the money sucked into offshore ownership (BoP in yellow) [🧵1/n]
My favourite three macro datasets show the amount of money added into our domestic economy (Govt deficit spend in pink + net bank lending in blue) and the money sucked into offshore ownership (BoP in yellow) [🧵1/n]
March 17, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Little run through an old favourite since it's GDP and Balance of Payments week...
My favourite three macro datasets show the amount of money added into our domestic economy (Govt deficit spend in pink + net bank lending in blue) and the money sucked into offshore ownership (BoP in yellow) [🧵1/n]
My favourite three macro datasets show the amount of money added into our domestic economy (Govt deficit spend in pink + net bank lending in blue) and the money sucked into offshore ownership (BoP in yellow) [🧵1/n]
Reposted by Freaknout
Some thoughts on the European response to the chaos now emanating from the White House - on Ukraine and more broadly, based on chats with senior European policymakers directly or indirectly involved in formulating the bloc's response 1/
March 7, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Some thoughts on the European response to the chaos now emanating from the White House - on Ukraine and more broadly, based on chats with senior European policymakers directly or indirectly involved in formulating the bloc's response 1/
Reposted by Freaknout
The tariff shock will create an opportunity for sellers’ inflation 2.0. It functions like the pandemic cost shocks. There will be plenty of confusion on the part of consumers. Prices will rise promptly but inventories were bought at pre-tariff costs. This alone means windfalls.
March 5, 2025 at 1:18 PM
The tariff shock will create an opportunity for sellers’ inflation 2.0. It functions like the pandemic cost shocks. There will be plenty of confusion on the part of consumers. Prices will rise promptly but inventories were bought at pre-tariff costs. This alone means windfalls.
Reposted by Freaknout
#OnThisDay 1888: West Hampstead station was opened by the London and North Western Railway.
➡️ buff.ly/3Xnn3rU
➡️ buff.ly/3Xnn3rU
March 1, 2025 at 7:00 AM
#OnThisDay 1888: West Hampstead station was opened by the London and North Western Railway.
➡️ buff.ly/3Xnn3rU
➡️ buff.ly/3Xnn3rU
Reposted by Freaknout
🔴 Russian Interference: Recruiting Donald Trump – the Early Years
@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social 6 years ago on @bylinetimes.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2019/11/13/r...
@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social 6 years ago on @bylinetimes.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2019/11/13/r...
Russian Interference: Recruiting Donald Trump – the Early Years
Russian Intelligence expert Zarina Zabrisky tracks back the decades-long dossier on the US President.
bylinetimes.com
February 24, 2025 at 11:57 PM
🔴 Russian Interference: Recruiting Donald Trump – the Early Years
@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social 6 years ago on @bylinetimes.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2019/11/13/r...
@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social 6 years ago on @bylinetimes.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2019/11/13/r...
Reposted by Freaknout
I know we all love a dose of hopium, especially now. But the take, which I see all across here, that the far right was defeated in Germany tonight because 80% of Germans voted for other parties is very misleading and unhelpful. Understanding this really matters. 🧵
February 23, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I know we all love a dose of hopium, especially now. But the take, which I see all across here, that the far right was defeated in Germany tonight because 80% of Germans voted for other parties is very misleading and unhelpful. Understanding this really matters. 🧵
Reposted by Freaknout
It’s a coup. It’s a strategic alliance with Putin. It’s the end of the post-war international order. It’s the triumph of lies over truth and in Putin’s case, evil over good. We are through the looking glass & we all now have to decide who we are & what we stand for
February 19, 2025 at 6:05 PM
It’s a coup. It’s a strategic alliance with Putin. It’s the end of the post-war international order. It’s the triumph of lies over truth and in Putin’s case, evil over good. We are through the looking glass & we all now have to decide who we are & what we stand for
Reposted by Freaknout
The DOGE firings have nothing to do with “efficiency” or “cutting waste.” They’re a direct push to weaken federal agencies perceived as liberal. This was evident from the start, and now the data confirms it: targeted agencies overwhelmingly those seen as more left-leaning. 🧵⬇️
February 20, 2025 at 2:18 AM
The DOGE firings have nothing to do with “efficiency” or “cutting waste.” They’re a direct push to weaken federal agencies perceived as liberal. This was evident from the start, and now the data confirms it: targeted agencies overwhelmingly those seen as more left-leaning. 🧵⬇️
Reposted by Freaknout
Putin must have something on Trump. There’s no sense in treating as an equal a country with an economy the size of Spain’s and an army that got pushed back by a country a fraction of its size and a quarter of its population
None of this makes sense unless…
None of this makes sense unless…
February 18, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Putin must have something on Trump. There’s no sense in treating as an equal a country with an economy the size of Spain’s and an army that got pushed back by a country a fraction of its size and a quarter of its population
None of this makes sense unless…
None of this makes sense unless…
Reposted by Freaknout
Don't give up - do something. A great list for civic minded Americans, from @protectdemocracy.org
open.substack.com/pub/protectd...
open.substack.com/pub/protectd...
How *you* can protect democracy
29 concrete actions you can take right now to protect our system of government
open.substack.com
January 24, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Don't give up - do something. A great list for civic minded Americans, from @protectdemocracy.org
open.substack.com/pub/protectd...
open.substack.com/pub/protectd...
Learning how to do things better...
There was an alternative to landing on the graveyard of incumbent governments in the wake of inflation. Mexico and Spain have demonstrated to the world how stabilizing the prices of essentials can pay back - economically and politically.
My first @foreignaffairs.bsky.social
My first @foreignaffairs.bsky.social
January 17, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Learning how to do things better...
So... who's this Al guy everyone's talking about?
January 15, 2025 at 3:47 AM
So... who's this Al guy everyone's talking about?
Reposted by Freaknout
So y’all know that the lead investor in this place is a crypto company founded by Steve Bannon’s ex-business partner, right?
November 14, 2024 at 12:16 AM
So y’all know that the lead investor in this place is a crypto company founded by Steve Bannon’s ex-business partner, right?
Interesting and disturbing piece, but the entire topic of article was not presented in court by either defense or prosecution (last para!).
‘I am evil I did this’: Lucy Letby’s so-called confessions were written on advice of counsellors www.theguardian.com/uk-news/arti...
‘I am evil I did this’: Lucy Letby’s so-called confessions were written on advice of counsellors www.theguardian.com/uk-news/arti...
‘I am evil I did this’: Lucy Letby’s so-called confessions were written on advice of counsellors
Prosecutors used densely written Post-its to build case against nurse, but she was told to write down her feelings to cope with extreme stress, sources say
www.theguardian.com
September 3, 2024 at 7:32 PM
Interesting and disturbing piece, but the entire topic of article was not presented in court by either defense or prosecution (last para!).
‘I am evil I did this’: Lucy Letby’s so-called confessions were written on advice of counsellors www.theguardian.com/uk-news/arti...
‘I am evil I did this’: Lucy Letby’s so-called confessions were written on advice of counsellors www.theguardian.com/uk-news/arti...
August 13, 2024 at 8:17 AM