Ace: aceofspadeshq at gee mail.com
Buck: buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com
CBD: cbd at cutjibnewsletter.com
joe mannix: mannix2024 at proton.me
MisHum: petmorons at gee mail.com
J.J. Sefton: sefton at cutjibnewsletter.com
Jim Sunk New Dawn 2025
Jewells45 2025 Bandersnatch 2024
GnuBreed 2024
Captain Hate 2023
moon_over_vermont 2023
westminsterdogshow 2023
Ann Wilson(Empire1) 2022 Dave In Texas 2022
Jesse in D.C. 2022 OregonMuse 2022
redc1c4 2021
Tami 2021
Chavez the Hugo 2020
Ibguy 2020
Rickl 2019
Joffen 2014
AoSHQ Writers Group
A site for members of the Horde to post their stories seeking beta readers, editing help, brainstorming, and story ideas. Also to share links to potential publishing outlets, writing help sites, and videos posting tips to get published.
Contact OrangeEnt for info: maildrop62 at proton dot me
Good morning kids. So, President Trump is supposedly in hot water because he accepted the gift of a jumbo jet fromQatar. To be fair, does he as a private citizen who via the Trump Organization owns at least one if not more private jets, jumbo and otherwise, and as POTUS has access to Air Force One and the entire damned Air Force at his disposal really need this? Also, why give your/his enemies a way to attack you in the first place? Surely he and his advisers could've handled this more artfully. Or what am I missing.
On a positive note, after a year and a half being held captive by the subhuman bestial Hamas terrorists, Edan Alexander, the last American hostage was released thanks to the efforts spearheaded by the President, and of course to say nothing of the IDF's latest push to plough Gaza into the Mediterranean.
Forty-nine Afrikaners — whose lives are threatened in South Africa — landed in Dulles Airport, Va., on May 12. Another 70,000 mostly poor, rural, white South Africans have applied to join the refugee program. The arrival of the legitimate refugees was greeted with hate and disdain by pro-migration groups and media.
“My read of this is that the administration is trolling the left,” Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, told Breitbart News. He added: “Admitting these few dozen Afrikaners is kind of trolling to get the left to find one immigrant, one refugee group that they don’t want. The numbers are small, but the Episcopal migration service dropped out of the refugee business rather than help these guys. So [Trump’s trolling] is already working.”
Many South Africans have already migrated to Australia, amid the Australian government’s invited inflows of Indians, Arabs, and Chinese to the country. “Australia wants them … Let them go there,” Krikoran said.
Donald Trump has frozen the U.S. refugee program, which was scheduled to import another 125,000 migrants in 2025. His administration is instead promoting policies to force more wealth-generating, wage-boosting investment in workplace productivity.
I can't wait for the usual gaggle of racialists, America-haters and others to trip all over themselves and expose themselves to the American people for their hypocrisy in shrieking about this while defending Hamas terrorists and the Tren de Aragua Illegal alien criminals as victims of President Trump's Hitlerite deportation orders.
And lastly, a quick shout-out and thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.
In a galling display of statism run amok, New York City has demanded that two Brooklyn landlords pay $160,000 to “relocate” squatters who illegally commandeered their properties. You read that correctly. The tax-thieving city government is demanding that the legitimate property owners pay to relocate the people who trespassed and took over THEIR property. NYC Demands Property Owners Pay To 'Relocate' Squatters
Democrats are using CBO analysis of the hotly debated budget reconciliation bill to fight President Donald Trump’s proposed historic tax cuts for Americans and efforts to reform programs throughout the federal government, including assuring American taxpayers are not on the hook for illegal aliens’ health care. Nonpartisan in Name Only: Congressional Budget Office Revealed as Hotbed of Unreliable Left-Wing Activists (Say it ain't so! - jjs)
Trump’s 90-day tariff pause weakens reshoring, fuels market chaos, and helps China and Wall Street—leaving American factories and workers in the lurch. Trump’s China Trade Deal: All Bark, No Factory
Trump didn’t wait for approval from Ivy League economists to act on what should be common sense: You don’t compete with slave labor, you crush it. Trump’s Tariffs Are A Global War On Slave Labor
From Covid eviction bans to tenant-slanted laws, property owners are under financial siege. Here’s what Trump can do about it. The War on Landlords
CIVIL WAR 2.0: J-6 FBI FALSE FLAG "RIOT" & AFTERMATH, LEFTIST PERSECUTIONS, DEMOCRAT PUTSCH, AMERICAN DISSOLUTION
The report’s authors say, “support for political violence – including property destruction and assassination – is not expressed in isolation, but as part of a tightly interconnected belief system.” Who’s To Blame For The Left’s ‘Assassination Culture’?
Forty-nine Afrikaners — whose lives are threatened in South Africa — landed in Dulles Airport, Va., on May 12. Another 70,000 mostly poor, rural, white South Africans have applied to join the refugee program. The arrival of the legitimate refugees was greeted with hate and disdain by pro-migration groups and media. Episcopal Group Quits Refugee Program over White South African Arrivals
The left-leaning National Immigration Project alleged in its April 24 lawsuit that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained a mother named Jenny Carolina Lopez-Villela, her 11-year-old daughter and her 2-year-old, who is a U.S. citizen. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Lopez-Villela entered the country illegally three times before she signed a letter agreeing to take her U.S.-born daughter with her to Honduras. Lawsuit Alleging ICE Deported US Citizen Dropped After Central Claim Falls Apart
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international competition in which participating countries – most Eurovision, but also including some outliers such as Australia, Azerbaijan, and Israel – send an artist to perform an original song. A point system using both popular televotes and a professional jury determines the winner. Israel has been participating in the contest since 1973 and has won four times. WATCH: Pro-Hamas ‘Protester’ Threatens, Spits Towards October 7 Survivor Competing at Eurovision
It has become in vogue for leftists to target Glock over the illegal use of the switches. For example, on March 19, 2024, Breitbart News noted that Chicago filed a lawsuit against Glock over the switches, although many of the switches in the U.S. originated in China. California Democrats Push Bill That Could Ban Glock Handguns
THE 2020 and SUBSEQUENT ELECTION HEISTS , SHENANIGANS/FRAUD and AFTERMATH
Comedy Gold: Christine Pelosi, a member of the credentials committee and daughter of former House Speaker Malig-Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), insisted that the vote to void Hogg’s vice chair election win had nothing to do with politics. DNC panel votes to void David Camera-Hogg’s election to Democrat vice chair
With neoconservative slugs like Senators Lankford and Tillis, it's surprising that they are still in office or that the Trump Administration has not had more problems from their ilk before now. With RINOs like Lankford and Tillis, who needs enemies?
Paxton is ahead of Cornyn by 16 percentage points — 56% to 40% — in a two-way poll commissioned by the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), Punchbowl News first reported on Monday. Meanwhile, in a hypothetical three-way matchup with Republican Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt, who is reportedly considering entering the primary contest, Paxton notched 44% of the vote to Cornyn’s 34% and Hunt’s 19%. AG Paxton Leads Sen. Cornyn By Double Digits In Texas Senate Race, Poll Shows
Fetterman has received intense backlash from his Democrat colleagues over growing concerns about his mental health and for reportedly missing committee hearings. Phillips, who ran against former President Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic Primary, said on “Fox & Friends” that his party needs to show some grace toward Fetterman and be more tolerant toward their colleagues who hold “different perspectives.” ‘Cut Him Some Slack’: Former Dem Presidential Candidate Calls Out His Own Party For Attacking John Fetterman
Voters in the Presbyterian Church USA go back and forth between Democrats and Republicans, but 57% of that denomination’s voters broke for Trump in November. Members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are all over the map in voting for presidential candidates, but Trump garnered 51% of the vote in that (quasi-)denomination in 2024. Even the ultra-progressive United Church of Christ — Barack Obama’s denomination of choice — gave Trump a slight majority of 51% last year. New Data Reveals Surprising Trends Among Mainline Protestant Voters
Michael Walsh: The early indications, therefore, are good that Leo's papacy could be both transformative and restorative. The name hearkens back to Leo I, the Great, who faced down Huns and Vandals in the fifth century and eased the Church's transition during the tumultuous transformation that followed the conquest of Rome by Odoacer in 476. That his first official Mass was conducted in Latin, with remarks from the pulpit in both American English and Italian, is encouraging, as was his use of traditional papal robes and choice of residences at the Vatican. THE COLUMN: American Caesar
Based on their histories, the papal name Leo suggests a unifier willing to take the steps necessary to isolate further dangers to fracturing the Church; will Prevost continue the legacy? Is the New Pope a Francis in Leo’s Clothing?
President Donald J. Trump’s bold vision to secure Greenland and unlock the Arctic’s commercial and strategic potential is taking shape, with Finland’s world-leading icebreaker industry ready to answer the call. Having built or designed 80 percent of the world’s icebreakers, the European Union (EU) country offers unmatched expertise to help the U.S. construct a new fleet.“Ice is our playground,” said Mika Hovilainen, CEO of Aker Arctic, a Finnish firm designing ships for Canada, Sweden, and now eyeing American contracts. “We want to be involved in every Western icebreaker,” Hovilainen added, noting his role in designing 10 ships, including one that operates sideways. Trump Turns to Expert Finns to Build Fleet of Icebreakers, Dominate Arctic from Greenland.
“May Trump come, take the canal in his pocket, and remove all those people from its administration. They are thieves,” one unemployed worker told The Telegraph, echoing the sentiment among laborers who claim Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino prioritizes foreign workers, particularly from a Chinese consortium building the canal’s $1.4 billion fourth bridge. Marvin Moreno, a 42-year-old welder, put it bluntly: “Right now [Trump] is the best option because the president we have is putting Panamanians practically against a wall. He is practically acting as a dictator.” Panamanians Pushed Out of Canal Work by Foreigners Back U.S. Return.
“Suetonius depicts what is under everyone’s clothes. . . The Lives of the Caesars is a portrait of the political world into which Jesus was born.” The Horror of Unlimited Freedom
ALSO: The Morning Report cross-posts at CutJibNewsletter.com within an hour of posting here, if you want to continue the conversation all day.
There is one model priced at the MSRP of $299, which won't be available, with other models mostly priced towards or over $400, a price that should buy you the faster 5060 Ti with 16GB of RAM. But doesn't.
The base 5060 with 8GB of RAM is not something anyone should buy. We'll see soon enough what AMD and Intel have to offer in competition.
Currently that's just the slightly older 4nm process, but the company is installing 3nm equipment right now and has started construction on additional buildings for new 2nm and 1.6nm production lines.
Man caught filming woman breastfeeding on bus tells passengers 'f*** off, I'm English'
Hamidat Soliu, 27, was breastfeeding while travelling to visit her friend when she was alerted that another passenger was filming her.
Yes, the guy is a creep. It wasn't moral. But, is it legal? And if not, what recourse does the offended mother have?
*****
Early this morning at about 1:30 an intruder was dispatched with here at Casa Misanthrope. Since we are in the Frozen Tundra you get Porcupines visiting and eating your darn steps. A .410 does wonders. I'm glad I don't have Floridian problems.
Video shows large alligator 'knocking' at front door of Florida home
A family in Fort Myers had an unexpected visitor when a large alligator appeared on their porch Friday morning.
National Limerick Day, held every year on May 12, pays homage to the man who made the short poems widespread — Edward Lear. Lear was an English poet who is known for his nonsense-style, often writing with made-up words, telling tales of “Quangle-Wangles,” and “runcible spoons.” He wrote 212 limericks, most of which didn’t follow the specific rhyming rules of the style. Although the by definition limericks have five lines, Lear’s were often shown in three or four, to give space to his accompanying illustrations and drawings. (A favorite of his: “There was an Old Man of Peru, who watched his wife making a stew; But once by mistake, In a stove she did bake, That unfortunate Man of Peru.”)
Spit Science: Why Saliva Is A Great Way To Detect Disease
Spit Science: Why Saliva Is A Great Way To Detect Disease
This isn’t entirely new. Scientists first noticed the diagnostic potential of spit decades ago. In the 1980s, researchers used saliva to detect hormones and drug use. By the 1990s, it was being explored as a way to detect HIV.
What’s new is the speed and precision. Today’s techniques can detect subtle molecular shifts that would have been impossible to measure just a few years ago.
Saliva holds a surprising amount of information. It’s full of tiny fragments of DNA, RNA, proteins and fats – many of which change when disease takes hold. Researchers have already shown that saliva can be used to detect changes linked to diabetes, Parkinson’s, heart disease and some cancers.
A recent study even showed saliva could help distinguish between healthy people and those with mild cognitive impairment, a possible early sign of Alzheimer’s.
In dentistry, spit science is being studied for early signs of gum disease and even the risk of tooth decay.
A light-based technique called Raman spectroscopy is one of the latest tools being used to scan saliva for hidden chemical changes. It works by bouncing harmless light off molecules in a spit sample and reading the pattern it sends back – a kind of fingerprint for what’s happening inside your body.
How two unmarked SUVs fanned fears that ICE was detaining nannies in D.C.
Rumors of raids at playgrounds and parks — all false, according to federal officials — have left the city on guard for days.
By the time lawyers arrived Wednesday morning at the leafy playground in one of the District’s most affluent neighborhoods, the rumors had already alarmed parents across the city.
ICE agents were taking nannies and leaving children in the park, messages on group emails, WhatsApp chats and text chains warned.
“Not trying to create hysteria,” began one message that ricocheted from one parent to another. It went on: “They are in Forest Hills right now in full tactical gear and children are being left behind.”
As concern grew, neighbors lined the block. An elected official jetted to the Forest Hills playground. Immigration attorneys handed out know-your-rights cards in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole to any nannies they could find.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials later told The Washington Post that agents had not targeted nannies at that playground nor any other in the District this week.
I wonder how The Fabulous and I were able to do it with 3 children and no nannies or parents near by.
*****
The ONT Musical Interlude & Long Distance Dedication To A Loyal Fan Emporium
SEATTLE —A driver is dead after jumping from the Ship Canal Bridge while attempting to flee the scene of a crash early Saturday morning, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The incident began around 1:48 a.m. when a trooper spotted a vehicle speeding on northbound I-5 near the bridge. As the trooper approached, the vehicle attempted to flee but quickly caused a three-car collision.
Despite damage from the crash, including the loss of the right front tire, the vehicle continued briefly before coming to a stop on the side barrier of the bridge. The driver then exited the car and jumped over the barrier in an attempt to escape, but did not survive the fall to the street below.
Five fishermen who survived 55 days adrift by drinking rain and parboiling passing fish arrive in Galapagos
QUITO, Ecuador
AP
—
Five fishermen who spent 55 days adrift at sea arrived Saturday at a port in the Galapagos Islands after being rescued by a tuna boat, the Ecuadorian navy said on X.
The three Peruvians and two Colombians had been missing since mid-March and were found on May 7 by an Ecuadorian boat called Aldo.
The fishermen had reported damage to the boat’s alternator two days after setting sail from Pucusana Bay, to the south of Peru’s capital Lima, the navy said in a separate post on Friday.
*****
Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by Organic Truck Washing.
Notice: Posted with permission by the Ace Media Empire & AceCorp, LLC. & Doof. I think. Or so I've been told.
Washington is, and has been, a Democratic town. Trump won 5 percent of the vote here in 2020; in both of his presidential elections, George W. Bush won 9 percent; Ronald Reagan never won more than 14 percent. However, throughout the years, the Washington Establishment always welcomed incoming GOP administrations. The D.C. social scene -- which connected the most powerful people in any given administration with political donors, philanthropists, lawyers, lobbyists and journalists, all Washington fixtures -- had a way of surviving, no matter the politics of the president.
In that spirit, every four or eight years, I would write a piece for The Washington Post with advice to the incoming administration about how to get along. Four years ago I wrote one as well. It wasn't intentional, but the story turned into a satire, more suited for the Onion. After all, how do you give etiquette advice to someone who has bragged about grabbing women's private parts; who has mocked a disabled reporter; who has called journalists "scum," "phony" and "the lowest form of humanity"; who has falsely claimed that his predecessor was not born in America; who has demeaned a war hero by saying he preferred people who were not captured; who had insulting names for his Republican primary opponents and called his female opponent in the general election "a nasty woman"? The piece didn't work. It never ran.
The D.C. establishment simply viewed the Trump people as an occupying army, and from 2017 through early 2020, the Washington social scene as we had known it dried up. People had their own gatherings and carried on as if there were no president. The president, his wife and those who work closely with them in any administration normally set the social tone. This time it didn't happen. There were two camps and hardly any intermingling.
The winter holidays in 2019 were a round of obligatory parties, but subdued, desultory, dispirited by Washington standards. Everyone was exhausted -- mentally, physically and emotionally. The trees were up, the wreaths were on the doors, the decorations were on the streets, the Hanukkah candles were lit, the Christmas carols were on the radio. But people didn't have their hearts in it. The conversations were Trump, Trump, Trump. It was not very merry.
Is there anything more tedious than reading a privileged kept woman whine that no one wants to come to her stupid "society" parties any longer?
It's spring in Washington, D.C., the most beautiful time of the year. Dogwood, forsythia, cherry trees, tulips and daffodils decorate every sidewalk, wisterias weep from porch overhangs, and redbuds pop up at every corner. The air is redolent of blossoms, a soft breeze sharing their scent through the streets. It's the perfect backdrop for the columned monuments and buildings that remind us of the miracle of our democracy. Spring is normally the happiest time of year here.
But not this spring.
This spring Washington is a city in crisis. Physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. It's as if the fragrant air were permeated with an invisible poison, as if we were silently choking on carbon monoxide. The emotion all around -- palpable in the streets, the shops, the restaurants, in business offices, at dinner tables -- is fear. People have gone from greeting each other with a grimace of anguish as they spout about the outrage of the day to a laugh to despair. It's all so unbelievable that it's hard to process, and it doesn't stop.
Nobody feels safe. Nobody feels protected. This is a city where people seek and, if it all goes well for them, wield power. But today in Washington those who hold -- or once held -- the most power are often the most scared. It is not something they are used to feeling. I lived through the paranoia and vengefulness of Watergate. This time in Washington, it's different. Nobody knows how this will end and what will happen to the country. What might happen to each of us.
Your fear is intoxicating. I'd like to laugh and say "You're just being paranoid," but... actually, you may be arrested. Take precautions.
You and your ilk have waged unholy war on the rest of the country for decades and we're finally ready to start fighting that war.
Even those who work for President Trump are scared. The capricious and shambolic way he governed in his first 100 days has them all insecure in their jobs. Mike Waltz is out. Bets are on as to how long Marco Rubio will remain in all his roles and Pete Hegseth in his. Elon Musk is on his way out, though who knows whether he'll be able to log back into the government's most sensitive systems from wherever he is? Those most afraid are the Republicans on Capitol Hill. They are afraid of not just being primaried but also facing retribution. Lisa Murkowski said it out loud. "We are all afraid," she said. "Retaliation is real. And that's not right."
...
One night during Barack Obama's second term, I sat next to Lindsey Graham at a Washington dinner party. He was, at that time, charming, funny, bright, thoughtful. Both of us were decrying the widening gap between Republicans and Democrats in our nation's capital. I remember him turning to me and suggesting that we start having small dinner parties for Republicans and Democrats to get together and talk. I agreed immediately.
We never got around to it. That conversation could never take place today.
The Trump socializing style is a striking departure from what went on in Washington for decades. Salons, where we got to know one another and exchanged ideas, are out. The preferred entertainment now is large galas in gilded halls and cavernous buildings with lots of flags, ribbons, hats and noise.
...
The restaurants of choice have changed....
Oh no, what will you do?
...
This summer a new club, the Executive Branch -- owned by Donald Trump Jr., Steve Witkoff's sons and Omeed Malik -- will open in Georgetown. With a Mar-a-Lago-esque membership fee of $500,000, expect it to be where the monarchical court life this president is imposing on Washington will play out.
With Mr. Trump in the White House, anyone who socializes with Democrats can come under suspicion.
...
Among once powerful lawyers, journalists, politicians, academics and lobbyists who have made up official Washington for the past few decades, the feeling is one of impotence, fear and frustration.
The hallmark of this administration is cruelty and sadism, vengefulness carried out with glee. Mr. Musk said it best: "The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy." The prominent historian Michael Beschloss said during Mr. Trump's last campaign that a second term could lead to "dictatorship and anarchy." At the time, he was accused of being alarmist. Not anymore.
"Everybody in Washington is being tested today," says Leon Wieseltier, the editor of the literary review Liberties. "The question is: What can we do? It's a time when we all have to ask: What am I capable of? It's time for people to ask: What am I willing to die for?"
But we still have to remember to live.
Their "existence" is being erased, you guys. They have to remind themselves just to continue existing.
She does have a plan for existing: Improv comedy.
Seeing the joy and relief of people getting together, not long ago, I scheduled an improv party. I have been taking improv classes for several years (performances and all), and for me, it's been two and a half hours once a week of nothing but laughter. I come out of each class or performance exhilarated. Some 23 brave friends showed up at my improv party prepared to make fun of themselves, and we all did. It was a riot.
Yeah you sound super-funny to me, I bet it was a real hoot.
...
I was thinking about how perhaps improv might be a way to think about the way forward for each of us. Right now, the established script for how D.C. operates, and our roles in it, has been shredded. It's time to write a new one. We need to be willing to surprise ourselves.
New York state Attorney General Letitia James was heckled by a President Trump supporter at a community hearing, where she claimed the freshly opened federal criminal probe into her alleged mortgage fraud is "baseless."
James was interrupted at a community impact hearing in Westchester on Thursday night, just hours after the Trump administration opened a formal criminal probe into James over the alleged mortgage fraud involving her Brooklyn and Virginia properties.
"Apologize to Donald Trump for wasting millions of dollars in the state of New York," the MAGA booster shouted from the audience.
Jaguar Land Rover is looking to replace its current advertising agency just months after the company faced a backlash over its controversial rebrand.
The company launched a review of its global creative account - currently held by Accenture Song and its in-house agency Spark44 until mid-2026 - following widespread criticism over its campaign, The Telegraph reported.
Critics of the radical rebrand - including Nigel Farage and Elon Musk - accused the carmakers of abandoning their 'jag-man' heritage.
It comes after the company announced plans to shift to electric vehicles with a bizarre new advertisement featuring brightly dressed models but no cars.
The group also abandoned its iconic 'growler' cat badge, replacing it with a curved geometric J and L symbol.
Defending the campaign late last year, JLR's Managing Director Rawdon Glover told the Financial Times: 'If we play in the same way that everybody else does, we'll just get drowned out.'
However sales plunged by more than a quarter in 2024 with Jaguar selling 33,320 cars, a significant drop from the 61,661 sold in 2022 and the 161,601 sold in 2019.
Jaguar's failed campaign follows a series of other similar woke rebrands from other big corporations such as Nike and Coca-Cola.
Midnight's Edge points out that this Trans Rebranding effort didn't take place until the final quarter of 2024 -- meaning that this 25% drop in sales occurred in just three months.
The National Archive head who allowed Lizzo to use James Madison's priceless, fragile crystal flute has been fired.
The left keeps pushing us towards violence. They will not enjoy the end state of the process.
Wild video captured the disgusting moment an enraged woman spat on former Trump-nominee lawyer Ed Martin in the middle of a TV interview.
The sick ordeal unfolded as Martin was speaking to Newsmax on Thursday about President Trump's decision to withdraw his nomination to serve as the top federal prosecutor for Washington, DC, instead tapping Fox News' Jeanine Pirro.
Martin was mid-sentence when the unidentified woman suddenly appeared while walking a dog and started waving her finger in his face.
"You are Ed Martin," she could be heard saying aggressively.
She then hurled abuse at him before launching a huge gob of spittle at close range, before stomping off as a speechless Martin watched in horror.
"You are a disgusting man," the spitter shouted at one point.
The footage has already been viewed millions of times on social media, with many ripping the woman as a "crazed leftist" and "psychotic lib."
The disgusting interaction came just hours after Trump revealed he was pulling Martin's nomination amid bipartisan concerns about the conservative activist's modest legal experience, divisive politics and support for Jan. 6 rioters.
BLM tried to make this a Rioting Opportunity. Alas for them, the three cops are black.
Three former Memphis police officers were found not guilty by a state jury on all charges, including second-degree murder, in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols.
The jury, after deliberating for eight and a half hours over two days, acquitted Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith at the conclusion of a nine-day trial. Despite the state-level acquittal, the three former officers still face the possibility of years in prison due to their convictions on federal charges last year in connection with Nichols' death.
It's almost as if black criminals are living out a never-ending racial psychodrama in which they must prove their value as warriors to the tribe by pointlessly fighting with police at every opportunity, while demanding the rest of us apologize for making them kill themselves.
Libs of TikTok
@libsoftiktok
BREAKING: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly sent a memo to the DoD to begin the process of removing transgender servicemembers from the military.
The memo reportedly gives a June 6th deadline for "voluntary separation" before "involuntary separations" begin. -Reuters
The woman who resigned rather than fence a man says she's tired of being told that every time men destroy women in sports it's just because women lack "skill."
Causality goes both ways. Students already inclined to hate other identity groups flock disproportionately to Ethnic, Gender, and Area Studies. At the same time, these activist-heavy disciplines radicalize students who flock to them for other reasons, such as low workload. https://t.co/1kzwlyMuuN
"It is our job to destroy imperialism, destroy the United States"
Far-left organizers with the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at @TempleUniv explain how destroying Israel will help them achieve bigger goal of destroying America and its ideas.pic.twitter.com/v7rN9xZ3sT
The Democrat Marxist Arts & Crafts Party doesn't know anything except how to tear down statues and put up statues of Regime-Protected Aggrievement Groups.
BREAKING: Mayor Brandon Johnson backs plan to eliminate Columbus statues from Chicago's parks pic.twitter.com/fzXK5745B1
I don't understand. If it's the most successful presidency in history, wouldn't you want to advertise?
Joe Biden's return to the spotlight this week is igniting anger among Democrats who wish the former president would ride off into retirement and stay there.
In a wide-ranging interview on "The View" with former First Lady Jill Biden on Thursday, Biden owned up to his role in Donald Trump's return to power even as he defended his decision to stay in the race as long as he did last year. But if he was expecting a warm reception, he's not getting it. Many in his party are desperate to turn the page on Biden's presidency, craving new leaders and fresh faces as Democrats look to find a way out of the political wilderness.
"It's time for Joe Biden to go away with all due respect and let the next generation of Democrats take the mantle," said Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha. "Every time he appears on a show or says something, it's just another week or a month that we have to defend him and remind everybody that we got beat by Donald Trump, again."
"For those of us trying to rebuild the brand, it does no good when you're constantly reminded about the old brand that won't go away," Rocha said, adding that the only good thing about the interview is that it was quickly overtaken by news of the selection of a new pope.
...
However unwelcome for many Democrats, Biden is an unavoidable subject.
The former president's allies are bracing for the potential release of audio of Biden's interview with Robert Hur, the special counsel who investigated Biden's handling of classified documents and raised questions about his mental acuity. That's in addition to an upcoming book by two high-profile journalists that promises to shed light on Biden's decision to run for reelection "despite evidence of his serious decline" mentally, according to promotional copy for Original Sin, set for release on May 20.
For many Democrats, both events are dredging up past problems-- not just around Biden's age, but also inflation and the party's handling of cultural issues.
...
"I think people have wanted to hear him acknowledge some sense of responsibility," said longtime Democratic strategist Karen Finney, who worked on HIllary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. She also said many Democrats were more upset that Biden, who had cast himself as a transitional figure, ran for reelection anyway.
That, she said, "goes back to his initial promise, where he said that he would only serve for one term."
...
"Most Democrats ... are tired of the distractions," said Georgia-based Democratic strategist Andrew Heaton. "The last thing we want is anything that's going to feed it to the naysayers who are going to point to see: 'once again, it was a big cover up in the party.'"
Heaton likened Democrats' current situation to a wildfire. At some point, he said, it will be important to understand how it started. But for now, he said, "Digging into the machinations of the Biden reelect is not something that I think a lot of folks are focused on right now."
He said, "Like, can we just move on?"
Below, two videos. In the first, a Biden insider reveals that Biden was always lying about only serving a single term. He says from the first moment they usurped the White House, the Biden team was fixated on winning -- "winning" -- a second term.
The second video is a compilation of headlines telling Biden to just die already. I mean, they don't say that, but that's what they mean.
For years, the Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) insisted that the border could not be sealed without granting amnesty and a path to citizenship to the 30 million illegals already here.
They were lying, obviously. A truer form of this statement would be "We cannot seal the border without extracting concessions from American citizens to appease our illegal alien constituents. Politically, we can only 'control illegal immigration' by making all illegal immigration legal. We can only 'reduce illegal immigration' by drastically increasing the number of legalized immigrants."
All it took was a president who could seal the border without trying to extract concessions for MS-13 and Tren de Aragua:
Bill Melugin
@BillMelugin_
BREAKING: Internal CBP data obtained by @FoxNews reveals Border Patrol apprehended 8,383 illegal aliens at the southern border in April, down 93% from nearly 129,000 in April 2024.
Per CBP data, only 5 aliens were released in April, compared to roughly 68,000 released in April 2024 under the Biden admin.
CBP says the 5 releases were only temporary for special interest court cases.
April 2025 averaged 279 Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal aliens per day.
April 2024 averaged 4,297 Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal aliens per day.
Analysis: The border is effectively closed/shut down, catch and release is over, gotaways are minuscule, and there has been no traditional spring surge of migrants arriving at the border.
Messaging, executive policy, and consequences have intersected to create the quietest border in modern history.
CBP statement:
"For the first time in years, more agents are back in the field - patrolling territories that CBP didn't have the bandwidth or manpower to oversee just six months ago," said Pete Flores, Acting Commissioner of CBP. "But thanks to this administration's dramatic shift in security posture at our border, we are now seeing operational control becoming a reality -- and it's only just beginning."
David Hogg: Young Straight Men Just Wanna Get Laid (Or So I'm Told)
—Ace
David Hogg offers an explanation for why Democrats lost so much support among young men, and he resorts to the standard Democrat answer for everything: People just wanna swing, baby! They gots to get dey freak on!
The Vigilant Fox
@VigilantFox
NEW: David Hogg gets a huge reaction from Bill Maher after saying Democrats need to reconnect with young men who just want to "get laid and have fun" without walking on eggshells.
He said the parties have flipped. Democrats are now the snobs that judge your every move.
"What I think happened last election is younger men--they would rather vote for somebody who they don't completely agree with, they don't feel judged by, than somebody who they do agree with, that they feel like they have to walk on eggshells around constantly because they're going to be judged or ostracized or excommunicated."
And because of that, young men are walking away.
"Nobody is perfect. But ultimately, what we have to do here is figure out how to bring people back in and work towards the bigger goal of advancing the future of this country and helping young people especially get by, so that they're able to focus on their lives and getting with a young woman or something like that, instead of how are they going to pay their rent, for example, or how are they working their two jobs.
"Young people should be able to focus on what young people should be focused on, which is how to get laid and how to go and have fun."
Maher clapped, stood up, and shook Hogg's hand after that comment.
NEW: David Hogg gets a huge reaction from Bill Maher after saying Democrats need to reconnect with young men who just want to �get laid and have fun� without walking on eggshells.
He said the parties have flipped. Democrats are now the snobs that judge your every move.
The newsy, clippable bit of Hogg's interview/discussion with Maher was his diagnosis for why men are fleeing the party, and in particular for why younger men have been leaving in droves after having hewed the line within the party for years: young men want to get laid and have fun, and the Democratic Party has been the party of killjoys.
In acknowledging this, he's not entirely wrong, but neither is he entirely right. The Democrat Party is entirely fine with young men having fun and even getting laid--the party is absolutely obsessed with sex, and only likes freedom in any form if it includes consensual sex between queers or in front of a computer screen.
But Hogg doesn't seem to get that the problem goes much deeper than Democrats' focus on promoting a pleasure-based lifestyle for everybody but heterosexual men. It's that the Democrats hate masculinity per se, and are deeply hostile to the aspirations of men that go far beyond mere sexual pleasure (which men indeed do seek out and love).
As Strom said, I'm sure young men object to the Democrat Party constantly "problematizing" their every desire and every action and shaming them for just having a normal straight male interest in the opposite sex. But of course that's only the start of it -- the left does nothing but attack men for everything they want and everything they do. It's not just sex. It's literally everything.
Men do not have any place in the Democrat Party's worldview. The only acceptable aspiration for straight men is to be allies to leftwing AWFL women and gays. That's the most they can aspire to be -- a supporting character in a more deserving Female or Gay Main Character's story of empowerment.
If anyone dares to say "What, are men just snowflakes who can't take criticism" -- let me reply has made it de facto illegal to ever criticize any of their constituent identity blocs. The snowflakes who demand validation for every single thing they do cannot object to someone else saying "We're tired of being treated as shit and as scapegoats for every failure of a leftwing woman or gay dude."
Also, of course, the Democrat Party set up a system to convict men of rape without evidence -- and against the actual evidence, which is suppressed -- in college show-trials.
We're in a strange place culturally today. Its been quite a while since moralistic prudes have tried so hard to control private and public behavior and instill specific, exact legalistic codes on society. And the oddest thing about it is that this new push is coming from the exact people who just a few years ago told us "if it feels good, do it."
The people who gave us raunchy sex comedies like Porky's in the 80s and American Pie in the 00's are now telling us that anything remotely like that behavior totally disqualifies you from public service, let alone private life.
...
After spending 50 years tearing down everything everyone held dear, mocking morality, breaking apart a system of ethics and behavior, cynically undermining all sense of public etiquette and cultural norms... now we're being told everything they said to do is all wrong.
Suddenly what pretty much everyone has done in the past is grounds for dismissal and attack. Went to parties and got drunk? Now you're a sinister potential rapist. Got a diary accounting for where you went and what you did? Got witnesses? You might need them now; all it takes is a woman to suddenly remember something she says you did, and a political benefit and you're doomed.
I've written about this in the past, how the left tore out the skeleton of our culture, leaving it unable to stand or function. They've taken every pain to remove all traces of what was once the system of ethics and behavior the nation generally agreed upon and which makes up the very core of a society. Now, they want to suddenly replace it all, with something new and even more prudish.
I wish some of you Morons could write some smart stuff like that.
Update: the diseased lunatics of BlueSky are calling for Hogg's cancellation.
Hamas Releases American Hostage After 583 Days of Terrorist Captivity
—Ace
@OliLondonTV
American hostage Edan Alexander has been handed over to the Red Cross, to be transported to Israel after the Trump Administration mediated his release.
It is the first and only time the Red Cross have seen the 21 year old in his 583 days in captivity.
Hamas released the last living American hostage Monday, after he spent more than 580 days in captivity inside the Gaza Strip.
Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, was received by a specialized Israel Defense Forces unit and was brought to an initial reception facility in Re'im, where he will undergo preliminary medical and psychological evaluation by IDF Medical Corps personnel, an Israeli official told Fox News.
"This is a very emotional moment -- Edan Alexander has returned home. We embrace him, and we embrace his family," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. "This was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. That combination is a winning formula."
President Donald Trump, following Alexander's release, wrote on Truth Social "Congratulations to his wonderful parents, family, and friends!"
"The Al-Qassam Brigades have just released the Israeli soldier holding American citizenship, Edan Alexander, following communications with the U.S. administration," Hamas said in a statement. "This comes as part of the mediators' efforts to reach a ceasefire, open the border crossings, and allow the entry of aid and relief for our people in the Gaza Strip."
"Today, on Mother's Day, we received the greatest gift imaginable--news that our beautiful son Edan is returning home after 583 days in captivity in Gaza.
We express our deepest gratitude to President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the US administration for their tireless work to make this happen.
We urge the Israeli government and the negotiating teams: please don't stop. We hope our son's release begins negotiations for all 58 remaining hostages, ending this nightmare for them and their families. No hostage should be left behind."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Trump "is fighting to secure the release of every American detained abroad" and "We won't stop until this conflict is over and all our hostages are home." As news spread of his release, a crowd that gathered in Alexander's hometown of Tenafly, N.J., erupted in applause.
Sue Gelsey, the interim CEO of the Kaplan JCC on the Palisades, told Fox News an estimated 3,000 had gathered in downtown Tenafly, some arriving as early as 5 a.m.
Trump, who is slated to depart Washington, D.C., on Monday for visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, said prior to Alexander�s release that it was "great news."
There are still 59 hostages being held by Hamas. Reportedly, the Red Cross hasn't seen any of them.
🚨 WOW! Even **CNN** is being forced to admit Trump is THE reason hostages like Edan Alexander are being released by Hamas
"And all of this is is happening because of ENORMOUS diplomatic effort and pressure that is now being brought to bear by the US and by President Trump." 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/EySbPUXcB3
U.S., China agree to 90-day tariff reduction after negotiations
The United States and China have agreed to reduce tariffs for 90 days following trade negotiations in Geneva, offering temporary relief to global markets. The deal marks a pause in the escalating economic conflict, with both countries pledging to resume talks during the truce.
Key Details:
The U.S. will lower tariffs on Chinese imports from April levels by 24 percentage points, maintaining a 10% base rate.
China will implement a matching reduction and suspend additional non-tariff measures targeting American goods.
S&P 500 futures jumped 3%, while U.S. bond yields climbed as investors reacted to signs of de-escalation.
Diving Deeper:
After weeks of mounting economic tension, the United States and China on Monday jointly announced a 90-day reduction in tariffs, signaling a temporary easing of the trade war that has unnerved businesses, investors, and policymakers across the globe.
The agreement, reached during weekend negotiations in Geneva, was confirmed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "We had very robust discussions. Both sides showed great respect to what was a very positive process," Bessent said in remarks to reporters. According to Bessent, the U.S. will lower its tariffs to 30%, while China will cut its rates to 10% during this period--a proportional rollback from their respective April highs.
The White House clarified that the reduction affects tariffs announced by President Trump on April 2, cutting them by 24 percentage points while keeping the base ad valorem rate of 10%. In response, Beijing agreed not only to match the tariff rollback but also to lift administrative barriers and non-tariff measures it had imposed since April.
Both countries are expected to implement the agreed measures by Wednesday. The joint statement released following the talks indicated that discussions will continue over the coming months as the two sides explore a longer-term resolution.
Markets reacted quickly and positively. S&P 500 futures surged over 3% on the news, providing a shot of optimism after weeks of uncertainty. The U.S. Dollar Index, which had been under pressure due to investor anxiety about America's trade posture, rose more than 1%. Meanwhile, bond markets adjusted sharply, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury climbing to 4.445%, its highest point since early April.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1037 points, or 2.5%, staying near its highs for most of the session with buying enthusiasm remaining strong. The S&P 500
popped nearly 3% on Monday, bringing its gain since its April intraday low at the height of tariff pessimism to more than 20%. The benchmark has cut its year-to-date losses to just 0.9%.
The Nasdaq Composite boomed by 4%, as the initial China agreement sent technology stocks tied to the country -- like Tesla and Apple -- flying higher.
🚨 Treasury Secretary @SecScottBessent announces a major trade deal with China:
�We have reached an agreement on a 90-day pause and substantially move down the tariff levels. Both sides on the reciprocal tariffs will move their tariffs down 115%.� pic.twitter.com/d89RFR3jA4
Trump Signs Executive Order Demanding that US Drug Makers Sell Drugs to the US Market at the Same Prices They Sell to Other Countries
—Ace
I don't know what his claim of power is based on. Congress passes a lot of laws granting the executive to take action on its own initiative, so maybe he has some power here. Maybe he has power as the ultimate administrator of Medicaid. I don't know.
American patients first: Trump orders drugmakers to match lowest global prices
On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at slashing prescription drug prices by requiring pharmaceutical companies to offer Americans the lowest prices they charge anywhere in the world.
Key Details:
The executive order instructs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allow Americans to purchase drugs directly from manufacturers at "Most-Favored-Nation" prices, bypassing costly middlemen.
If pharmaceutical companies refuse, the order directs HHS to impose rules mandating most-favored-nation pricing and to use "other aggressive measures" to end anticompetitive practices.
Trump blasted the current system where "Americans pay massively higher prices than other nations" and said it was effectively "subsidizing socialism abroad with skyrocketing prices at home."
Diving Deeper:
President Trump on Monday signed a major executive order designed to overhaul the way Americans pay for prescription drugs, calling the move part of his broader promise to put "American patients first." The action, according to a White House fact sheet, is intended to "bring the prices Americans and taxpayers pay for prescription drugs in line with those paid by similar nations."
The order directs the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of Commerce to crack down on foreign countries that "purposefully and unfairly undercut market prices," leading to increased costs for American consumers. "We're not going to let these other countries rob us blind anymore," Trump said, according to the release. "We are the biggest buyer in the world--and it's time we got the best deal."
A central feature of the order is a new mechanism through which American patients will be able to purchase drugs directly from manufacturers at a "Most-Favored-Nation" price--meaning the lowest price those companies offer to any other developed country. By cutting out pharmacy benefit managers and other middlemen, the administration aims to bypass entrenched pricing systems that often leave American consumers paying more than their counterparts abroad.
Should pharmaceutical companies refuse to comply, the order empowers the Secretary of Health and Human Services to take further action, including proposing binding rules to mandate the lower pricing and applying other regulatory pressure to break up what the administration describes as "anticompetitive practices."
Trump underscored the need for action by citing new data that shows Americans pay more than three times as much for brand-name drugs as citizens in other developed nations, even after accounting for discounts. The White House also noted that although the U.S. represents less than 5% of the global population, it accounts for roughly 75% of all global pharmaceutical profits--due in part to "subsidizing drug-manufacturer profits and foreign health systems."
"In case after case, our citizens pay massively higher prices than other nations pay for the same exact pill, from the same factory," Trump said. "You can see some examples where the price is beyond anything--four times, five times different."
Pfizer rigged the 2020 election by delaying their discovery of a "vaccine," so I'm all out of tears for Pfizer.
THE MORNING RANT: Brian Kemp’s Presidential Ambitions May Have Saved Us from Another Senator Tillis/Cassidy/Murkowski/Cornyn
—Buck Throckmorton
There is much consternation among Republicans about term-limited Georgia Governor Brian Kemp opting out of the 2026 Georgia Senate race against Democrat incumbent Jon Ossoff. Kemp was favored to easily get the GOP nomination and then go on to defeat Ossoff, flipping the seat back to the Republicans. Initially there was concern that Marjorie Taylor Greene would get the nomination but would prove unelectable. Rep. Greene has since announced that she won’t be running for the Senate seat either.
There is no reason for a state that Donald Trump carried in the 2024 election to have a hard-leftist such as Jon Ossoff representing it in the U.S. Senate. There are plenty of actual conservative politicians who could beat a hard-leftist such as Ossoff.
That said, I am passionately, fervently, Never-Kemp. I am relieved that he will not become another member of the RINO Senate coalition that works with Democrats to undermine Donald Trump and to sabotage the MAGA agenda.
Perhaps this is the most important question to ask: How would a Senator Brian Kemp vote in an impeachment trial if/when the Democrat-controlled House impeaches President Trump in 2027? I believe with the highest confidence that Senator Brian Kemp would vote for conviction and removal of Trump from office.
Brian Kemp’s animus toward Trump, and his cavalier attitude toward Democrat ballot fraud, made it possible for Biden to win Georgia’s electoral votes in 2020, and it is my opinion that Kemp also wanted to deliver Georgia to Kamala Harris in 2024. Putting this man in the Senate when we need to keep the Trump agenda moving forward would be akin to allowing the enemy into our trenches to jam our guns.
Would I rather have Ossoff in the Senate for one more term than Kemp in the Senate for decades? Yes, I would! If a Brian Kemp were in the Senate, he would probably remain a Senator until he dies or retires. We’ve seen the likes of Thom Tillis, John Cornyn, Lisa Murkowski, etc move further and further to the left, until they are fully allied with the Democrats and only voting conservative when there is a prominent show vote around re-election time. It is virtually impossible to turn out an incumbent RINO in a primary due to the power of incumbency (e.g. name recognition, money, etc.)
Even worse, these Republicans who are actually allied with Democrats get committee seats, and so long as there is a Republican Senate majority, the Republicans generally get just one more seat on committees than Democrats. These RINO Senators effectively flip committee control to the Democrats. I’d rather Jon Ossoff take up a Democrat committee seat on a Republican-controlled committee than have a Brian Kemp take a Republican committee seat and then use it to flip the committee to advance the Democrats’ agenda.
I don’t need to recount for this readership just how much we despair about RINO senators in states Trump won who are undermining the Trump agenda. This is from the boss just last week:
You may remember that near the end of the Biden presidency, Republican Oklahoma Senator Jim Lankford took the position that the only way to secure the border was with a bi-partisan amnesty bill, so he signed on to a Democrat bill that not only didn’t secure the border, but it actually legalized 5,000 new illegal immigrants per day. Fortunately that bill was defeated, but even after President Trump showed that the border could indeed be closed, Senator Lankford is still out there allied with crime-loving Democrats trying to keep hardened, criminal, illegal aliens in this country.
��Just in: Oklahoma GOP Senator James Lankford comes out in favor of illegal immigrants getting due process: “There is a need to be able to give an opportunity for someone to be able to make an argument before they are removed from the country.”
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) May 7, 2025
To my ever-lasting shame and disgrace, I voted for John Cornyn in the 2002 Texas Republican primary, because he was the “moderate” and “electable” Republican most likely to beat “popular” Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk in the general election. Cornyn won alright, and he has been stabbing conservatives in the back for 23 years, and now he is running for another 6-year term in 2026.
Even worse, while living in Louisiana in 2014, I voted for Bill Cassidy in the US Senate race, since he was the most “electable” Republican candidate running against the “moderate” and “popular” three-term incumbent, Mary Landrieu. Not only has Bill Cassidy been hostile to the MAGA agenda, he actually joined Senate Democrats in voting to convict President Trump in the farcical impeachment trial in early 2021.
As a final insult, whenever any of these anti-MAGA Republican Senators are in their final term, they gleefully do a shoot-the-finger farewell tour. Mitch McConnell is doing that right now by consistently voting against Trump nominations and consistently voting with the Democrat minority. Mitt Romney and John McCain also showed us the damage that petty, vindictive, grudge-holders can do once they’re in their final terms. If these political turncoats hadn’t been elected to a first term then they’d never have gotten a final term in which to settle scores and to dishonorably betray their voters.
No more Cornyns. No more Cassidys. No more Romneys. No more Lankfords. No More Murkowskis. I could not be more relieved that I don’t have to worry about a Senator Kemp trying to sabotage President Trump.
Of course, the reason Brian Kemp is not running for U.S. Senate is that when he looks in the mirror, he sees a future President. I’ve got a suggestion for his campaign theme: ”A Chicken in Every Pot, and a Rivian in Every Garage”
2028 GOP presidential candidates should mercilessly mock @BrianKempGA with the line, “A chicken in every pot and a Rivian in every garage.”@Rivian will be bankrupt & gone by then, but Georgians will still be paying for Kemp’s eco-globalist foray into corporate communism.
Voters can never be allowed to forget that Brian Kemp allied himself with eco-globalists in trying to kill off internal combustion vehicles, and he then embraced corporate communism by dishing out billions of Georgia taxpayer dollars to EV-related startups. May his presidential campaign be as successful as his forays into venture communism.
*****
In my latest piece at The Blaze I discuss how the governing uniparty chose to make “America-Last” the compromise position between MAGA’s demand for “America-First” and the Democrats’ anti-patriotic “America-Never” philosophy.
“America-Only” is a necessary counter-response to move the compromise position to “America-First.”
A coalition of America Only and America First voters has the power to compel the Republican establishment and swing-district Democrats to understand that America First is the compromise position, and if they refuse, then they get nothing on their global wish list.
It’s behind a paywall, but if you’re a subscriber to The Blaze, I’d be honored if you’d give it a read.
My latest piece at The Blaze:
America-Only is a rational response to the elites’ rejection of America-First,
America-Last is not an acceptable compromise with the Democrats’ position of America-Never. https://t.co/uiN88YUe7M
— Buck Throckmorton (@BuckThrockmort) May 11, 2025
And of course the complete flaunting of the rule of law by both elected officials and the bastardization of the law by judges who are sworn to uphold it. The most recent and horribly repulsive examples happened in Newark NJ and Worcester MA over the weekend.
Yesterday, news broke that a passel of Democrats—three Congresspeople and the Newark mayor—went all “insurrectiony” and tried to storm the Newark ICE facility. Newark’s mayor was arrested, but as of this writing, the congresspeople involved (Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Rob Menendez (D-NJ), and LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) were still free. However, a new video has emerged that makes it look as if federal prosecutors might at least want to think about investigating McIver, who really seems to have gotten into the swing of things, grabbing at, body slamming, and verbally abusing ICE agents. That’s just my take, of course. I’m not actually accusing her of anything.
You can reach your own conclusions by watching the bodycam video yourself:
Anti-white, anti-Semitic writer, formerly named LeRoi Jones, Self-avowed “Third World Marxist-Leninist” . . . Was named Poet Laureate of New Jersey in 2002.
A video making the rounds on social media appears to show residents in Worcester, Massachusetts surrounding and assaulting ICE agents while they were in the process of detaining a mother just a day after arresting the alleged father of the same family.
According to Boston.com: Worcester police said officers responded to the neighborhood around 11:13 a.m. for reports of around 25 people surrounding a federal agent, while another person called to report that ICE agents were refusing to show a warrant to the crowd.[…] In chaotic videos of the incident online, an individual who appears to be the teen girl is screaming as up to five officers detain her. Another individual pushes police officers, who then push her into a front yard before arresting her. Ashley Spring, 38, was also arrested after she allegedly threw an unknown liquid substance on and pushed multiple officers who were attempting to arrest the 16-year-old. Spring is charged with assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (unknown liquid), disorderly conduct, and interfering with a police officer.
Another hallmark of Western civilization was the creation of a judiciary that gave the state the power to enforce laws, ensure justice, and deter criminals by swift punishment, unaffected by ideology, bias, bribes, and personal vendettas. From the law codes of Justinian to the American Constitution, ascendant civilizations rose with a codified legal system applied uniformly, disinterestedly, and fairly.
Not any longer. Ideology has turned the American legal system into a commissariat of sorts in which relativism is now the norm. Vandalize a Tesla in a blue state and, like the South of old, the laws will be lightly if even enforced and applied selectively. No one seriously believes that Alvin Bragg, Letitia James, Jack Smith, and Fani Willis were interested in real crimes rather than concocting them to destroy a presidential candidate and thus warp the political system. In contemporary America, it was far more likely to suffer a jail sentence for walking peaceably but unlawfully in the Capitol than for torching a federal courthouse, historic church, or police precinct in the summer of 2020. . .
. . . Tribalism was a premodern obstacle to civilization. It remains so in many parts of the Middle East, where it is routine to hire, promote, retain, and reward on the basis of kinship and bloodlines. In America, we were supposed to have a singular meritocracy, civilization’s effort to ensure that those with the most expertise and experience were charged with the most important tasks and responsibilities to ensure the safety and welfare of the majority. Race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation were neither rewarded nor punished. Instead, we here, too, returned to premodern tribalism and race quotas, regressing to precivilization ideas that we owe our allegiance first to those who share a superficial appearance rather than to the body politic at large.
Tribalism indeed, but the ultimate goal at least for the Democrat/Left bone-in-the-nose tribe of cannibals is the acquisition and permanent hold on absolute power. Anything and anyone who stands in their way is fair game – By Any Means Necessary.
If the book is not thrown at the domestic terrorists in New Jersey and Massachusetts, then we are not far from a complete breakdown of the rule of law, if we're not there already.
Trump promised to implement what he called “most favored nation” pricing, which would cut pharmaceutical and prescription drug prices “almost immediately, by 30% to 80%,” he announced in a Truth Social post Sunday night. . .
. . . With his announcement, the commander in chief is revisiting a similar proposal that he tried to implement during his first administration, that was blocked by federal courts and then rescinded by the Biden junta. At the time, the courts noted that Medicare was barred from negotiating drug prices. However, the legal roadblock was removed in 2022 with the passage of the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, which gave Medicare the power to bargain over prices for a small number of drugs.
Obviously, the details have yet to be released. And as I and likely all of you and your loved ones are taking one or more meds, which can be very expensive especially if your insurance does not cover some or all of the costs. Here's the thing. I'm no special pleader for Big Pharma which like so much of our manufacturing base has off-shored, most alarmingly to places like Red China, but dictating prices sounds kind of anti- free market, no? Dare I use the "F" word; "fascistic."
Look, if the pharmaceutical industry is doing some hinky garbage to bilk medicare and medicaid, that's one thing. Close the loopholes, clean up the bureaucracy and prosecute where criminality and malfeasance can be proven.
Iran is developing “boosted” nuclear warheads at a secret military site disguised as a chemical plant, according to intelligence presented by Iranian dissident group NCRI, which accuses Tehran of expanding its nuclear arsenal with hydrogen bomb capability. . .
. . . According to the NCRI, the Rainbow site is focused on the extraction of tritium, a radioactive isotope used to amplify nuclear yield, especially in implosion-type warheads and thermonuclear devices. Tritium’s incorporation is seen as a key step toward the development of hydrogen bombs. Sources say this marks a significant escalation beyond Iran’s previously known nuclear efforts under the AMAD Plan, which was ostensibly halted in 2003. . .
. . . The development comes amid heightened tensions, as IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami threatened to “open the gates of Hell” on the U.S. and Israel — a stark warning issued just days before another round of indirect nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. Last week, Iran unveiled a new solid-fueled ballistic missile, claiming it has stationed similar systems nationwide, according to state-run TV, which cited military officials promising the ability to strike U.S. bases and interests “wherever they are” if war breaks out.
I assume the Israelis are likely well aware of this. The individual quoted in this article is quite adamant about avoiding boots on the ground in Iran but does call for more open support of Iranian resistance within the nation as well as around the globe. And I agree. There are ways to help them topple the Mullahs and neutralize not only the threat posed by their possession of nukes but finally ending 46 years of their spilling oceans of blood all over the world via sponsoring terrorism in the name of jihad.
Have a great day.
ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
Victor Davis Hanson: From secure borders to functioning cities, America is shedding the hard-won pillars of civilization—by choice, not chance—in a sweeping, top-down descent into disorder. The Decivilizing of America
Biden encouraged his son's ferociously greedy dealings with the Chinese energy firms and even fronted a deal for China to get raw earth minerals to help with the communist state's electric car battery production and to help its notorious "Belt and Road Initiative." At one point, Hunter Biden and family were paid in diamonds in an apparent obvious attempt to avoid paying taxes. Hunter's company, Rosemont Seneca, whose business product was Joe Biden, helped China's takeover of a cobalt mine from an American company in the Congo. It was a $3.8 billion deal. See If You Can Spot the Biggest Difference Between Biden's and Trump's China Deals
President Donald J. Trump’s much-touted “Big, Beautiful Budget Bill” is taking shape in Congress as the House of Representatives and Senate delve deep into the budget reconciliation process. The legislation, a budget reconciliation bill, circumvents the Senate’s filibuster rules, meaning that only a simple majority of the upper chamber is needed to pass it into law. Notably, the core content of the bill includes a permanent extension of President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, additional tax relief for American workers, and funding for border security and the White House’s mass deportation program. What is the ‘Big, Beautiful Budget Bill’ and How Does This Whole Thing Work (Or Not)?
The outrage is out of proportion to the policy shift, and the Left continues to refuse to engage with the concept of tariffs. In Defense of Tariffs
CIVIL WAR 2.0: J-6 FBI FALSE FLAG "RIOT" & AFTERMATH, LEFTIST PERSECUTIONS, DEMOCRAT PUTSCH, AMERICAN DISSOLUTION
America is hated by the Left not for its failures, but for its success which discredits every aspect of left-wing ideology. Celebrating Victory, Celebrating Defeat
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on April 7 signed Senate Bill 364, which opens the door for anyone with a federal work permit to serve as a cop. In 2024 alone, the Biden administration issued over two million new work permits to non-citizens — many through hotly debated parole programs with major oversight flaws. Cops Without Citizenship: New Mexico Law Opens Police Force To Non-Citizens
Ashley Spring, 38, was also arrested after she allegedly threw an unknown liquid substance on and pushed multiple officers who were attempting to arrest the 16-year-old. Spring is charged with assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (unknown liquid), disorderly conduct, and interfering with a police officer. Worcester, Mass. Residents Clash with ICE, Local Cops During Arrest of Alleged Illegal
CBP officers selected the woman for a secondary inspection just before 3 AM. During this examination, she confessed to having a foreign object concealed inside her body. Subsequently, she was taken to a medical facility, where medical staff confirmed and removed the internally concealed package filled with fentanyl. A follow-up examination revealed no further anomalies.“This is an exceptionally dangerous practice and could be lethal if the packaging were to fail during transport,” stated CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. He emphasized the risks associated with such smuggling methods, advising against engaging in any form of smuggling activity. Border Patrol Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle Fentanyl Inside Woman’s Body.
Will Americans soon witness President Trump’s issuance of an executive order suspending habeas corpus for criminal aliens and American enemies who have participated in an invasion against the United States? Will Trump Suspend Habeas Corpus for Illegals?
ISRAEL vs IRAN & GAZA/HAMAS . . . AND BIDEN
In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed gratefulness “to all those involved” in making Alexander’s release happen. Trump added that Alexander’s release by Hamas terrorists was “a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators” in order to end the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Trump Reveals Edan Alexander Released by Hamas: ‘Coming Home to His Family’
In the past several months, the DOJ has filed statements of interest in land use cases for churches, helped launch a task force to “eliminate” anti-Christian bias and opened an investigation into an “anti-Catholic” law in Washington. Trump DOJ Steps Into Breach To Defend Religious Liberty
A Chula Vista Superior Court Judge in San Diego County Friday sentenced Jacqueline Ma, 36, to the prison term after she pleaded guilty in February to two counts of forcible lewd acts on a child, one count of lewd acts on a child, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material. SoCal Teacher Plummets from Teacher of the Year to Incarcerated Child Sex Offender
FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES, CENSORSHIP, FAKE NEWS, MEDIA, BIG BROTHER TECH
Let’s be real—when the media is nitpicking a guy’s meeting schedule, it’s a dead giveaway they’ve run out of legitimate criticisms. After years of the FBI and Justice Department being weaponized against Trump and his allies, this is the best they got? NBC's Pathetic Hit Piece on Kash Patel Will Make You Laugh Out Loud
An unaccountable machine pushing impractical policies that most people never voted for and are now beginning to reject. The Net Zero fantasy fades
EDUCATION, AND WHAT PASSES FOR IT
USRA apparently wants to maintain its race-based hiring practices, but do so in a manner that will prevent the Trump administration from interfering. It also wants to be in a position to immediately restore its racist DEI propaganda to public view the moment a Democrat returns to power. Academics in space community scheme to continue their racist DEI policies
DEMOCRAT/LEFTIST AND RINO SCANDALS, MESHUGAS, CHUTZPOCRISY
Gallego, who is viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party due to winning a competitive race in a state President Donald Trump won last November, traveled to another crucial battleground state with a message of broadening the party’s tent in order to win back power in Washington. He boasted about using the filibuster to tank GOP legislation when asked by an attendee what Senate Democrats had in their toolkit to fight Trump and congressional Republicans. Sen. Ruben Gallego Boasts About Using Filibuster To Block Trump Agenda After Campaigning To Abolish It
Did Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor forget that it’s generally frowned upon for judges to display their political partisanship? It’s a question worth asking given that the Obama appointee appeared to do just that in her recent public remarks. (WIseass/Wide-Ass Latin - jjs) Dear Justice Sotomayor, Your Left-Wing Partisanship Is Showing
While Rep. Jasmine Crockett didn’t mention anyone by name, her pointed reference to a white male candidate with deep-pocketed donor backing lines up almost perfectly with what we’ve been watching unfold behind the curtain—namely, Gavin Newsom’s quiet but calculated maneuvering. Make no mistake: Newsom is the Democrats’ slickly packaged backup quarterback, just waiting for the starter to go down. Last year, he laid the groundwork for a national run, effectively building a shadow campaign as he took deliberate steps to raise his national profile and cast himself as the natural heir to Biden’s progressive agenda. Did Jasmine Crockett Reveal Whom the Democrat Establishment Has Chosen as Its 2028 Nominee?
MAGA and Catholicism aren’t at odds—mercy has borders, and a new American pope offers hope for unity between faithful patriots and the Church they call home. Donald Trump, Pope Leo XIV and Mercy
Rubio, whose interest in Latin America was a key talking point in his nomination to his role in the State Department, made a blitz of visits and diplomatic actions to various nations in the region to secure American interests early during the administration, most recently extracting Venezuelan opposition members to the U.S. from the regime’s grasp. As the Trump administration turns its attention to issues like immigration, fentanyl trafficking and curtailing Chinese influence globally, Rubio has become one of Trump’s key liaisons in the region. ‘Paying Far More Attention’: Rubio Turns His Gaze To America’s Backyard After Years Of Neglect From Washington
Texas still accounts for the vast majority of cases in the U.S., with 709 confirmed as of Friday in an outbreak that also spread measles to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas.Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness. The US has 1,001 measles cases and 11 states with active outbreaks
FEMINAZISM, TRANSGENDER PSYCHOSIS, HOMOSEXUALIZATION, WAR ON MASCULINITY/NORMALCY
Democrat Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff and Democrat Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens, who voted against legislation to bar biological males from women’s sports earlier this year, are backing the Equality Act, a bill that would make “gender identity” a protected class under federal anti-discrimination law. The candidates’ decision to support the far-reaching legislation comes as Republicans accuse the two lawmakers of catering to left-wing gender ideology that is at odds with their own voters. (RELATED: It Appears Democrats Have Finally Picked A Hill To Die On) Dem Senate Candidates Running In ‘Toss-Up’ States Co-Sponsor Bill To Eliminate Women’s Sports
Music is When the Winged Hussars Arrived by Sabaton, the story of the relief of the 1683 Ottoman siege of Vienna by the largest cavalry charge in history, led by John III Sobieski of Poland-Lithuania and the aforementioned Winged Hussars.
Video is from Babylon 5, featuring the lifting of the blockade of Centauri Prime by the new White Star fleet. Well, I think so; it's been a long time since I watched it so I may have the details a bit muddled.
Sunday Overnight Open Thread - May 11, 2025 [Doof]
—Open Blogger
(Mystery click dust warning)
Howdy Hordelings! Happy Mother's Day to all the mama 'ettes! Or is it Mothers Day? More on that later.
If your mom is still around, did you call her today? If your mom is no longer with us, The ONT calls for raised glasses in honor of her and all dearly departed mamas. Step on in, and let's talk about moms (and whatever else is on your mind).
36. Married with Children
Katey Sagal as Peg Bundy
31. Bewitched
Agnes Moorehead as Endora
29. The Simpsons
Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson
18. Family Ties
Meredith Baxter as Elyse Keaton
11. Modern Family
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy
2. The Cosby Show
Phylicia Rashad as Clair Huxtable
Check out the whole list. Who is missing??
***
'Ette Couture (Courtesy of Piper)
It's once again that time of the week to turn the ONT over to our good friend (and mama 'ette) Piper for a bit. Here's this week's fashion pr0n.
------
The Met Gala had us buzzing throughout the week, mainly wondering if anyone had mirrors in their homes. Ever since Cher scandalized the world in 1974 with her Bob Mackie naked illusion dress, attendees have tried to make their outfit the most outrageous, and therefore discussed, of the night. Did anyone buck that trend and look good? Yes, a precious few.
Zendaya looked stunning in St. Laurent, a beautiful blend of Dandy and Disco. The hat was perfect.
Monica Barbaro (I don’t know either) also looked great in Dior. Her pose is…what it is. 😂.
So many people wore Thom Browne. Wendi Deng Murdoch was one of them. The buttons on this are truly incredible. She is paring her dress with illusion heels.
This is the dress from the back. It’s very…unfortunate. The person in the front is Grace Murdoch, someone else had the same purse in black as well. Oops!
The 2025 Country Music Awards happened. I don’t listen to Country. I am not aware who most of these people are, but their looks certainly weren’t topping any charts!
Starting with someone I do know, Nicole Kidman. Y’all. She is giving Hey Arnold right there.
Jessie Murph accessorized with a pig, which is the least problematic part of this outfit.
Bunny XO and her song writer husband, Jelly Roll.
This could have been so much better. she has an hourglass figure that should have been highlighted in many different ways except this one!
Did anyone wear something that wouldn’t make us scratch our head in befuddlement? Yes.
Megan Marony wore this butter yellow satin dress. It has a little fringe on there, but this was not in your face country. It fits her beautifully. You have to be careful with this fabric, it is not forgiving at all, but she looks incredible. Whoever she is. 🤣
We were also treated to our First Lady unveiling a Barbara Bush memorial stamp this week. As always, she was stunning. FLOTUS wore an oversized virgin wool and silk grain de poudre blazer from Christian Dior and a Hervé Pierre leather pencil skirt. The shoes are Louboutin Kate 100s,
------
Thank you, Piper! Hope you had a fantastic Mother's Day!
As we all know, Mother’s Day is the holiday where we let our moms know how special they are. But do you know how to correctly punctuate the name of this day? The apostrophe can be the mother of all hard-to-use punctuation marks, and it seems to be hanging around the wrong place.
Why is the apostrophe so often up to no good? Didn’t it listen to its mother growing up—wait, does an apostrophe have a mother?
***
Mother’s Day, as with other such holidays as Father’s Day, New Year’s Day, and St. Patrick’s Day, places the apostrophe before the S. Mother’s Day is an interesting case, though, because its creator Anna Jarvis actually insisted on this particular punctuation placement. Jarvis wanted the day to use a singular possessive to highlight that the day should be dedicated to each family honoring their particular mother.
The apostrophe placement we use signals exactly what Jarvis wanted. If the holiday was instead called “Mothers Day,” it would imply the day was dedicated to celebrating all mothers or motherhood in general. If the day was called “Mothers’ Day,” it would mean the day belonged to all mothers—and you would need to buy a lot more gifts! By using the name Mother’s Day, the holiday indicates that it belongs to each individual mother, just as Jarvis wanted.
***
DJ Doof - Mom Songs Version
Last night at Club ONT, we featured mom songs from Mr. T (yes - really!), Ozzy, and The Police. Here's a few more...
Top 10 commenters:
1 [544 comments] 'Sponge - F*ck Cancer' [77.27 posts/day]
2 [441 comments] 'Christopher R Taylor'
3 [441 comments] 'Oldcat'
4 [402 comments] 'TheJamesMadison, smashy-smashy with Godzilla'
5 [388 comments] '...'
6 [371 comments] 'Bulg'
7 [348 comments] 'Disinterested FDA Director'
8 [301 comments] 'polynikes'
9 [300 comments] '18-1'
10 [300 comments] 'Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ '
Top 10 sockpuppeteers:
1 [181 names] 'Miklos ' [25.71 unique names/day]
2 [153 names] 'Joyenz'
3 [143 names] 'Fireman, Save My Child!'
4 [100 names] 'Quarter Twenty '
5 [52 names] 'Facts? Reason? Research? Fuck that shít!'
6 [48 names] 'Disinterested FDA Director'
7 [45 names] 'Duncanthrax'
8 [45 names] 'Moron Analyst'
9 [45 names] 'Dean Wormer '
10 [44 names] 'Ixnay on the Iklosmay'
***
Tonight's ONT brought to you by harsh mom realities
***
Comments, questions, suggestions, or emotional outbursts? You can do the email thing at doof2112 at proton dot me - or, follow Mr. Doof on X @doof2112.
Howdy, Y'all! Welcome to the wondrously fabulous Gun Thread! As always, I want to thank all of our regulars for being here week in and week out, and also offer a bigly Gun Thread welcome to any newcomers who may be joining us tonight. Howdy and thank you for stopping by! I hope you find our wacky conversation on the subject of guns 'n shooting both enjoyable and informative. You are always welcome to lurk in the shadows of shame, but I'd like to invite you to jump into the conversation, say howdy, and tell us what kind of shooting you like to do!
Holy Hallmark Shitballs! It's our festive annual Mother's Day Edition where it only seems fitting to pay tribute to the shooting Mom's in our lives, so Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mom's out there! In fact, all the shooting 'ettes deserve a special day of their own, don't you think?! Ma Barker, pictured above, certainly fits the definition of a shooting mom... or did she? While there is some question regarding her level of participation in the "gang" bearing her name, some of her sons were unquestionably familiar with firearms. In any event, it's an interesting story, some of which is chronicled at the Oklahoma Historical Society's website, and Wikipedia even has some interesting things to say on the subject.
With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?
I think this is the appropriate place to remember our pal Jim Sunk New Dawn, who passed away this week. I first met Jim in person at TXMoMe II when and where he became not just a friend, but an integral part of each subsequent TXMoMe's shooting program. Jim could do it all; whether serving as an instructor, a coach, an RSO or just happily sharing his knowledge of guns and shooting in general. No task was too large or small, and Jim helped countless shooters have a good time on the handgun and rifle ranges with a big smile on his face all the while.
Jim was one of the most generous people I have known. Not only did he freely offer his decades of experience gained as a military and competitive shooter with good humor, he was constantly and quietly doing something kind or selfless for those around him. I was able to observe some of these efforts first-hand and was constantly amazed at the innovative ways Jim found to do nice things for others.
Jim loved the people of this blog and was a great friend and supporter of the Gun Thread, and like so many others was taken from us far too soon. Please join me in remembering him in the comments tonight.
Until next time, Amigo.
******
This Direction This Went Seemed Unnecessary
I suppose it's possible part of the RSO's job is checking that people have signed in and paid for range time. The guy with the group was immediately a wee teensy defensive, and then RSO guy upped the ante by bucking-up and looking for a fight. Seems to me like a case of two knuckleheads which never mixes well with firearms.
So what do you all think? When is it a good idea to check your ego and attitude? Have you had an adversarial encounter at the range? Let's discuss in the comments.
******
Hickok45
10mm vs 45 ACP!
******
Marlin Lever Action Restoration
******
Our Pal the Pulley
******
Finally!
A flying bicycle!
******
Ax Weasel
Q: Weasel, how does the Large Hadron Collider work?
A: Same as a Small Hadron Collider. Duh.
******
Highway Patrol
This week's episode is Mother's March (for crippled children)
******
Invasion USA!
******
2025 NoVAMoMe
Note: One of the great joys of NoVAMoMe season, at least for me, is being able to cut and paste the entire block of text below and haranguing you to attend the event. Are you attending? Are you focusing on the fundamentals of attending?
Alright, guys and gals, the long awaited and highly anticipated details of the 2025 NoVAMoMe are here! That's right, I finally got my act together and updated the information page for 2025, and need to go over a few details. First, the date is June 21st, 2025. Nextly, my bestest blog buddy bluebell and I have decided 2025 will be a year of NoVAMoMe simplification, and want to pass along the changes from prior years.
First, no more registration and no more advance charge for food. If you would like to attend, send an email to WeaselBell Productions, and let us know. You will be directed to a sekrit webpage with all of the details. We do ask once you have decided to attend to let us know so we can coordinate an expected count with venue management. Once there if you are hungry or thirsty simply order from the onsite menu and pay separately. Cash and credit cards accepted. Next, although fun, we have decided to take a break from the raffles and mug sales this year. Depending on how it goes, that may be something we bring back in future years. While your generosity is always appreciated, with no prize table, please leave donations and contributions at home, but bring your appetite for a great afternoon spent with your imaginary online friends.
A NoVAMoMe PSA from our pal bluebell
Hi folks - just a quick PSA. If you write for info about the MoMe, please give us a few words in the body of the email just so I know you are a Moron and not a spammer (moron). I do receive spam on this email account because it's sitting right here in my nic, so that's why I'm asking. I don't want to give our details to a spammer. Also, remember to check your spam folder if you don't receive a reply email.
Thanks.
bluebell
Seriously, just send an email then go to the website with the password provided. If you forget, a link to the email is on the main page, left sidebar. If you do not sign up, bluebell will be disappointed. Weasel will be disappointed, too, but it's bluebell you need to worry about.
Arturo Fuente is one of the big and honored names in cigars, and their Hemingway line is very popular. I tried the Signature, a 6 X 46 figurado (pointy at both ends), which sports a handsome Cameroon wrapper. Binder and filler both from the Dominican Republic, where it is rolled. Smoke was ample, draw was easy, burn line required some management to keep straight (I tend to manage the line when trying a stick for the first time, as wrapper plays a big part in overall profile). For me things started off with wood notes, a subtle sweetness, and a tangy finish. By mid-stick, wood and leather dominated, with the sweet note making intermittent appearances. A solid medium in strength. The Hemingway Signature can be found online for $9 and up.
Excellent, rhomboid! Thank you!
******
Here are some different online cigar vendors. You will find they not only carry different brands and different lines from those brands, but also varying selections of vitolas (sizes/shapes) of given lines. It's good to have options, especially if you're looking for a specific cigar.
A note about sources. The brick & mortar/online divide exists with cigars, as with guns, and most consumer products, with respect to price. As with guns - since both are "persecuted industries", basically - I make a conscious effort to source at least some of my cigars from my local store(s). It's a small thing, but the brick & mortar segment for both guns and tobacco are precious, and worth supporting where you can. And if you're lucky enough to have a good cigar store/lounge available, they're often a good social event with many dangerous people of the sort who own scary gunz, or read smart military blogs like this one. -rhomboid
Anyone have others to include? Perhaps a small local roller who makes a cigar you like? Send me your recommendation and a link to the site!
Please note the new and improved protonmail account gunthread at protonmail dot com. An informal Gun Thread archive can be found HERE. Future expansion plans are in the works for the site Weasel Gun Thread. If you have a question you would like to ask Gun Thread Staff offline, just send us a note and we'll do our best to answer. If you care to share the story of your favorite firearm, send a picture with your nic and tell us what you sadly lost in the tragic canoe accident. If you would like to remain completely anonymous, just say so. Lurkers are always welcome!
That's it for this week - have you been to the range?
That's what the lowly pork chop looks like in my new neck of the woods, and I for one heartily approve! The difference between it and the commodity pork that is readily available in the United States is significant, including (unfortunately) the cost. Yup, it is pricey, about $8/lb, But for that I get a spectacularly flavorful chop, with copious amounts of fat, and best of all, the delicious other muscles and fat along the perimeter that is almost always trimmed away by American pork processors.
Cooking it was easy! I seared the perimeter fat until nice and toasty, then seared one side to the same degree, flipped it over, plopped it into a warm oven for about 25 minutes (five minutes too long for me, but I wasn't the only one eating). It came out wonderfully browned, but tender and juicy. And the fat...that glorious fat! Delicious!
I know that America produces fantastic pork, but it is so damned hard to find! And I do appreciate the amazing job that our farmers and processors do with mass-market pork. I can get good stuff for a fraction of what I paid for that chop, and especially for smoking and BBQ, it is very, very good.
I am hoping against hope that the Trump administration will do something about the absolutely insane policy mandating biofuel use. In practice, that means ethanol in gasoline. The Renewable Fuel Standard was created by Congress through The Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, both signed by our favorite Bush (spit).
It's a stupid idea, ignores the fact that petroleum is in abundance, and takes up valuable farmland that could be used to feed people. So any time anyone complains about starvation in the world, remind them of this pathetic policy.
What? Iowa farmers had something to do with it? I'm shocked that politics has intruded on our energy policy!
******
The trend among a certain kind of internet recipe writer is to simplify. If the traditional recipe calls for nine ingredients and 45 minutes of prep and cooking, well they can do it with four ingredients and 12 minutes of prep and cooking time.
And sometimes it even works! But there is a subtext with many of them that seems to be reflexively against tradition in any form. "We modern cooks are so much more in tune with the environment and the people who do the cooking!"
Yeah...sure. Most of the time, traditional recipes are great because they have been tested and retested by millions of people over many years. Yes, shortcuts are great!
But not this one. Crustless Quiche Lorraine is a good idea, but this knuckle-dragger also removed the cream, so what we are left with is a hard-cooked bacon, egg, and cheese omelet.
Lurker "RS" does what a lot of good cooks do...he uses most recipes as a starting point, but brings his experience and particular palate to bear. And even more importantly, he is aware of the recipe's shortcomings and plans the next version accordingly.
Thought you might appreciate a report on a mid-week meal I prepared for my longsuffering spouse.
The starting point was this recipe, though I never follow recipes in detail: Roman Style Chicken
Used crushed tomatoes and passata to get up to two cups of sauce base. Added more capers and garlic plus a green bell pepper for additional color. Used more prosciutto.
Should've used more cayenne an maybe added mushrooms. Also, next time, fresh herbs instead of dried, and pass the chicken under the broiler at the end to crisp up the skin.
Served with rice, but the sauce should be reduced more or thickened with a corn starch slurry for a pasta side IMHO. Mashed cauliflower gratin would be a nice side as well, plus a green veg.
All in all, not bad. Spouse was happy.
Of COURSE it caught my attention! I knew what it was before I clicked on the link, but it is a clever way of getting drinkers to look!
Vodka sauce isn't just an affectation or a change for change's sake. The alcohol extracts complex flavors from the tomatoes, and adds an interesting mouth feel that I think is wonderful!
******
Hi from AshevilleRobert!
It's strawberry season here in my neck of the woods,so I got some local berries and made turnovers with homemade vanilla cream icing. Here's an example pic.
Yeah...they look good. I love that sort of stuff. There is nothing quite like fresh fruit!
And there's more from AshevilleRobert! Remember the Fish joint I linked to in last week's Food Thread? Well, he has some thoughts...
Good Hot Fish? We have not been there. My wife hates both catfish and trout. (She's weird).
Plus it's in an area of downtown where I wouldn't want to leave my car unattended for long.
This place has become one of our more favorite locations. It's a little west of Asheville... Haywood Smokehouse
Oh,and as far as fish goes, this is the one I'd recommend. Again, it's not in Asheville but close by.
Why did nobody tell me to char my avocados before I make guacamole? Not that I am making any anytime soon, but what a good idea!
And...why is the plural of tomato, "tomatoes," when the plural of avocado is "avocados?"
******
I thought France would have good garlic, but the Frogs seem to have the same problem we have in the U.S. At least they don't import filthy garlic from China. Pork is great here, but no game, so send all of your extra antelope to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.
Who are those poor deluded souls We know who shakes their Manhattans! These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.
$1,200 for a bottle of bourbon is just stupid, insulting, and a ghastly affront to most people's palates and wallets. I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.
The problem...or the solution...is to buy lots of bourbon, take tasting notes, and eventually arrive at your favorites! It should take forty of fifty years, but it is worth it!
Yes, that is the chaos of a couch seat cushion that has migrated from its biblically mandated position hard up against the couch back, to a completely unacceptable and frankly offensive place.
Yes, it is a crappy couch in a rental, but humanity deserves better. Besides, my permanent abode's couch wouldn't dare pull that sort of crap. We have regular training sessions and yearly certification to ensure that couch-cushion overhang is something read about but never actually experienced!
The Sustainable Organic Church Of The Carbon Apocalypse
—CBD
[That is coblogger Buck Throckmorton's brilliant name for it]
These people are loons!
The majority of Americans are suspicious of the entire teetering edifice of Global WarmingTM hysteria, so the fact that United Airlines is doubling down on this insanity is telling. My guess is that it goes hand-in-hand with DEI and other progressive tools, because that's how leftist corporations roll, and UAL is definitely a leftist company.
But this particular grift is slick. UAL isn't asking for donations to fund some green project in Sh*tcanistan or deepest darkest Africa. No, they are asking for money to help defray the costs of their own initiatives! They are not content to fund it with their own money, because that runs the risk of getting slapped down by their board of directors and the financial markets. So they go directly to their customers with this weird, touchy-feely begging. It's a mission! An initiative! It's for sustainability!
The buzz-words are great, although a bit dated. They will have to come up with some new ones to continue the grift into President Trump's term, because they will be conspicuously on the outside looking in.
Too bad they don't spend some of their AGW money on maintaining and cleaning their planes. I fly UAL a lot, and they do the bare minimum. Plus, the food sucks! Although their house bourbon is Buffalo Trace, which is a pleasant pour, so I guess it could be worse.
It is long past time for the boards of directors of major corporations in America to force the issue, and make their CEOs return to the appropriate goals of every public company: enhancing shareholder value is not something that has become passé. And even worse; rent-seeking behavior in pursuit of transient government funding to support these green initiatives is a recipe for disaster. Governments change! Priorities change! But the pursuit of profit will never go out of style.
Baier: Why did you spend $221K on private jets to your 'fighting oligarchy' rallies?
Bernie: "You think I can sit on a waiting line at United while 30,000 people are waiting? That's the only way you can get around. No apologies for that."
Podcast: Sefton and CBD jabber about India vs. Pakistan as a placeholder for the larger battle between Islam and the West, Israel finally decides to complete the job in Gaza, Tom Tillis is a toad, and more!
Forgotten 80s Mystery Click, Dutch Masters Edition Mumbled spoken intro:
Somewhere in a lonely hotel room, there's a guy starting to realize
That eternal fate has turned its back on him, it's 2 a.m. Focus on the "it's 2 a.m." If that didn't rumble it, try this: I'm falling down a spiral, destination unknown
Double-crossed messenger all alone
Can't get no connection, can't get through, where are you?
Well, the night weighs heavy on his guilty mind
This far from the borderline
When the hitman comes, he knows damn well he has been cheated This song rocks. Unjustly forgotten!
Podcast: CBD and Sefton are joined by Vox Clamantis, a career federal prosecutor. We discuss what Due Process actually is, and how it applies to deportation, what the Trump administration can do to combat judicial overreach, and more!
Stephen Miller: The courts are attempting to unconstitutionally enshrine open borders into law by imposing an "infinite process" on deportations. They're too cowardly to admit what they're doing and just say, "We don't like the way they people voted and who they voted for, so we're deposing the president through a judicial coup." Instead, they're just making it so that we can have a nominal law that allows the deportations of foreign criminals and gang members, but we're also going to impose "due process" requirements that will guarantee all illegals a lifetime residency in the US.
George Clooney now looks like Bela Lugosi from Ed Wood In this "interview," Jake Tapper claims that Clooney writing an op-ed at the instigation of Barack Obama was "brave," and Clooney returns the favor by telling Jake Tapper that "journalists" are brave and irreplaceable. It's the world's least enticing gay porn.
Recent Comments
18-1:
"[i]You will struggle to sum up the illegal vs Afri ..."
redridinghood:
"
Western Lensman
@WesternLensman
Tapper: WH phy ..."
Halito:
"Hello. Yesterday I read that this plane is on loan ..."
Piper:
"The plane will go to the airforce, then to the Tru ..."
WitchDoktor:
"Hey Bulg.
Shoot me a note sometime.oculusrocks ..."
It's me donna :
"They were sure quick to jump on the "Trump only li ..."
Bulg:
"My Catholic neighbor, who is active in the Knights ..."
Helena Handbasket:
"[I]Mapped: The Best Selling Vehicle in Every U.S. ..."
Chuck Martel:
"What else could that dottering old fool do? He bri ..."
