Higgenbotham's Dark Age Hovel

[Iceman]

Just a brief breath of just keeping on keeping on air before diving back into mother dark age earth analysis and discourse and that's to say Happy Dad's day to the ones who are dad's and to all a good dark age day and night.

Regards,
Iceman

[aedens]

It went well the Wife weeded the garden and soon after a gentle rain.

[tim]

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article ... inges.html

More than 240 people were arrested, two people stabbed, and others raped, as France's biggest open air music festival descended into intense violence.

The 40-year-old man and woman, who have not been named, were attacked in the early hours of Monday at the Fête de la Musique – a nationwide 'street party' attended by thousands of British people.

Police also reported two alleged rapes, multiple other sexual assaults, muggings, and girls being stabbed with syringes, on a night of anarchy.

It was in the south west city of Toulouse that a male victim was knifed, close to midnight, while the woman was knifed in nearby Colomiers soon afterwards.

On Monday, both were in hospital and described as being 'in a stable condition'.

An investigating source said: 'Camera footage of the Fête de la Musique is being studied to try and find those using knives to stab people.'

There were also attacks on the streets of Paris, as thugs started fights in the centre of the city.

[Higgenbotham]

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr043.pdf

I used to post this information quarterly back when the birthrate was crashing, then stopped when it leveled off.

One reason I did is a crashing birthrate is somewhat indicative of the squeeze on the middle and lower classes and it used to be in previous cycles that, once the squeeze was evident to the extent that it was a few years ago, the Federal Reserve, etc., would stop squeezing and let the rich take a hit, i.e., the stock market would fall, etc. No such thing has happened this time around and the squeeze has resumed in full force.

One thing I've noticed anecdotally recently is that a newborn is such a rare thing nowadays that any newborn garners an unusual amount of attention, often drawing a crowd of strangers in public. So my guess is that once the 2026 numbers are in, they will show the birthrate continuing to crash...as the new dark age tightens its grip.

[aedens]

The KOSPI surpassed the 9,100 mark to set a new record-high close, and retail investors' margin debt also climbed to an all-time high. Although brokerages have moved to curb overheating by restricting credit-loan purchases and raising margin requirements on some stocks, the investment fervor to avoid missing the rally has shown little sign of cooling. https://en.sedaily.com/

Maximum ruin on deck. Different this time since UNIBLAB from George Jetson Leveraged Model will save Spacely Space Sprockets.

[Higgenbotham]

Covid Mortality Diminished but Low Fertility Means Deaths Still Exceeded Births in More Than Two-Thirds of U.S. Counties

March 13, 2025
By Kenneth Johnson

Only 3,606,000 babies were born in the United States between July 2023 and July 2024, 43,000 fewer than the year before and barely exceeding (by 22,000) the 43-year low in 2020–2021, according to new Census Bureau estimates. Births are diminishing because fertility rates are at record lows, continuing a long-term decline that accelerated during the Great Recession. There were 16 percent fewer births last year than just before the Great Recession, even though there were 8 percent more women in their prime childbearing years (aged 20–39).

In contrast, deaths and mortality rates diminished modestly last year from Covid-era highs, though deaths remain nearly 10 percent above pre-pandemic levels. As a result, the balance between births and deaths remains in flux. Last year, births exceeded deaths by 517,000, considerably more than the natural gain of just 146,000 during the depths of the pandemic. Yet, last year’s natural gain was just 43 percent of the average gain —1.2 million—in the five years prior to the pandemic. A substantial excess of births over deaths has long been the primary driver of U.S. population growth, but as this surplus dwindled in the last four years, immigration provided the bulk of the nation’s population increase.

https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/covi ... -thirds-us

I like the county level maps because they show how incredibly hard the population in most of the land area of the US is being squeezed. It's another way of showing how the periphery is being drained out for the benefit of the center - the giant sucking sound from the periphery to the center.

Or, for a recent specific example, consider this article:

North Dakota Farmer Sues Federal Government, Demands Right to Drain Cropland

While his corn and soybeans drown, Cody Peterson faces potential prosecution if he drains his rows.
By Chris Bennett
June 23, 2026 06:44 AM

https://www.agweb.com/news/business/far ... n-cropland

Just a small part of the giant sucking sound that will soon be silenced forever as the center collapses.

"While the periphery breaks down rather slowly at first, the capital cities of the hegemon should collapse suddenly and violently." This is the developing story of our time...as the new dark age tightens its grip.

[Higgenbotham]

I've discussed what I call The 97th Percentile. They are the people who largely run the country - and it is run at that level - the reasons for which have been discussed. On average, they are more capable at garnering resources than the average farmer out in North Dakota. But just on average. The 97th Percentile wants their comfortable air conditioning, their organic food, their private school tuitions and their health insurance, all of which are increasing in price astronomically. So they will continue to squeeze those farmers and other producers out on the periphery as hard as is necessary to maintain their lifestyle. As I've said regarding The 97th Percentile - these are not smart people. The farmer out on the periphery is trying to tell them something:

“It’s federal abuse and it’s at an all-time high,” says the North Dakota grower. “Government officials have no sense of reason when it comes to farmland. They use a wedge on a small piece of land and then take control of everything you have.”

Caught in the expanding regulation of a conservation easement, Peterson faces the potential of prosecution if he drains his fields.

“I’m just one guy, but there are thousands of irate farmers like me with the same bureaucratic problems on their land. We’re steady losing money and struggling while FWS comes up with more ridiculous rules. We’re sick of Washington, D.C.”

They will not listen. They will just squeeze harder. He will be painted as the problem - a stupid Trump supporter, or whoever comes along next promising to alleviate the squeeze because Trump has not done so. If that happens, expect that person to be liked even less by the liberal establishment than Trump.

Now at some point, one of two things happens. Either they squeeze those North Dakota farmers completely dry, or there is a small group of North Dakota farmers who defeat the law of averages and start a small and successful insurrection - one of many that is likely to independently occur out on the periphery in various places.

The effect of either is that the giant sucking sound winds down and is silenced forever - as the center collapses suddenly and violently.

Reference: South Africa
Blame the Boer Farmers - How Well Did That Work?
News South Africa Collapsing Time Frame Past 1 Month

[aedens]

Before the French and British, Michigan was home to the Ojibwe (also called Chippewa), the Odawa (also called Ottowa) and the Potawatomi (also called the Bode’wadmi). The Time of Gentile will end to the Globaal and,
M L K which is MOLEK. They serve darkness. One day it just stopped as Diamond conveyed. The Wifes People tell of the Sea Peoples. I will not conflate this to the Bronze Age collapse in that zone. Older much older. Doctor Santos from South America had a few books out and some contend what survived was called Egypt.
As the sample of Ore indicated it was from our area off the Coast of Turkey.
As it was said the Book they write is for the narrative as open borders ended them.

German government has been grooming DSA leaders for over a decade.
They now control New York and the Left Coast.
The FBI failed to address the rise of the revolutionary left, the NGO sphere, and foreign connections because, under the Biden-Harris administration, the agency was preoccupied with investigating Catholics.

And what did we learn from the Wifes people.
U'tlun'ta in the Peoples language.
Pharmakeia.
Deception.

The infection spreads.
thread: l8ter, amos, ἐξέρχομαι, πυθωνος, elam, gaajigaade

[Higgenbotham]

Science
Half of America’s Cities Are Depopulating. We Could Be Headed for a Ghost Town Era.
By Tim Newcomb
Published: Mar 19, 2026 1:05 PM EDT

By studying population trends and forecasting models, researchers have come to believe that nearly 15,000 U.S. cities will face noticeable depopulation by 2100.
Populated areas of the cities in question could experience a decline of up to 44 percent.
Projections call for the biggest drops in city populations to occur in the Northeast and Midwest.

No city in the Northeast or Midwest is safe from a trend toward depopulation. And just because states such as Texas and Utah experience growth now, doesn’t mean it will last. At least, not according to research. Major depopulation is coming for the United States—and it’s coming fast.

A study published in Nature Cities forecasts the behavior of U.S. populations by investigating a variety of trends, data, and models. The results paint a rough picture of the future for cities across the country.

“We found that, by 2100, close to half of the nearly 30,000 cities in the United States will face some sort of population decline, representing 12-23 percent of the population of these 30,000 cities and 27-44 percent of the populated area,” the authors wrote. “The implications of this massive decline in population will bring unprecedented challenges.”

The project started as an analysis commissioned by the Illinois Department of Transportation to analyze coming transportation challenges within the state due to population changes, but the data led the study’s authors to expand the research across the country. Looking at more than just the nation’s largest cities creates a robust picture of the scale of change ushered in by depopulation.

By extracting data from both the U.S. Census for the past 20 years and the annual American Community Survey, and pairing it with a mixture of climate forecasts known as Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, the researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago show that 2100 could look plenty different for U.S. cities.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/scienc ... -town-era/

[Higgenbotham]

"While the periphery breaks down rather slowly at first, the capital cities of the hegemon should collapse suddenly and violently." This is the developing story of our time...as the new dark age tightens its grip.

Columbia University in the City of New York

In the News: 2.2 million New Yorkers are living in poverty
By Center on Poverty and Social Policy, Columbia University
March 23, 2026

Our research, in partnership with Robin Hood, finds that the New York City poverty rate has reached its highest level on record, with 1 of 4 residents—or 2.2 million people—living below the poverty line in 2024 since the Poverty Tracker began collecting data more than a decade ago. Our findings on the state of poverty and disadvantage in New York City were covered in an exclusive by the New York Times. We highlighted how recent federal cuts to the social safety net will yield even greater economic insecurity for New Yorkers. Our annual report spotlights SNAP’s critical role in keeping families afloat—lifting roughly 1 in 10 recipients above the poverty line—while emphasizing that many recipients often remain in financially precarious positions, navigating health problems and material hardships and low wages. Without that support, we find the city’s affordability crisis could deepen significantly.

The big takeaway is that in 2024, economic hardship in New York City was the norm.
Sophie Collyer, Research Director, NYT interview

https://robinhood.org/reports/poverty-t ... ort-vol-8/

So if SNAP gets cut, the poverty rate will go to about 36% due to that cut plus whatever increase has occurred since 2024 plus whatever increase occurs after 2026 due to other ongoing causes. Once the US gets to a state of financial collapse similar to the current collapse of South Africa, New York City should approximate current conditions in Johannesburg, South Africa or worse. I think New York City has the largest number of billionaires of any city in the world.

Poverty rate in Johannesburg South Africa

AI Overview

Poverty in Johannesburg, South Africa - The Borgen Project In Johannesburg, South Africa, approximately 37% of households live below the upper-bound poverty line. While Johannesburg and the surrounding Gauteng province have South Africa's lowest poverty rates overall, the city faces extreme wealth inequality with localized poverty and unemployment rates soaring to over 40% in townships like Alexandra and Doornkop.

Poverty Line Definitions and Statistics

Poverty in South Africa is generally measured across three major national thresholds (based on per person, per month valuations):
Food Poverty Line (FPL): Roughly 17.6% of South Africans live below this line (unable to afford basic food).

Lower-Bound Poverty Line (LBPL): Approximately 37.9% of the population falls under this line, capturing households that can afford food but must sacrifice non-food items to do so.

Upper-Bound Poverty Line (UBPL): About 66.7% of the nation falls below this line. In the City of Johannesburg, this means roughly a third to over a third of its population cannot meet these baseline needs without significant social and economic strain.

Economic Inequality and Demographics

Massive Disparity: Johannesburg features some of the starkest wealth gaps in the world. Wealthy districts like Sandton sit just minutes away from deeply impoverished, densely populated townships.

National Context: To review the full scope of national and regional livelihood data, the Statistics South Africa publication tracks absolute poverty, and the World Bank offers international comparisons based on daily purchasing power.

What percent of New York City's population can afford food but must sacrifice non-food items to do so.

AI Overview

Statewide data from the No Kid Hungry New York 2026 Survey shows that 67% of New Yorkers report having to choose between buying enough nutritious food and paying for other essential household expenses in the past year.

This ongoing affordability crisis means a vast majority of the population is making the exact trade-off you described, having to sacrifice non-food items (such as healthcare, utilities, or savings) to afford food.