He caught a train from Alexandria
Just a broken man in flight
Running scared with all his devils
Saying prayers all through the night

But mercy can't find him
Not in the shadows where he calls
Forsaking all his better angels
That's how every empire falls

The bells ring out on Sunday morning
Like echoes from another time
All our innocence and yearning
And sense of wonder left behind

Oh, gentle hearts remember
What was that story? Is it lost?
For when religion loses vision
That's how every empire falls

He toasts his wife and all his family
The providence he brought to bear
They raise their glasses in his honor
Although, this union they don't share

A man who lives among them
Was still a stranger to them all
For when the heart is never open
That's how every empire falls

Padlock the door and board the windows
Put the people in the street
"It's just my job, " he says "I'm sorry."
And draws a check, goes home to eat

But at night he tells his woman
"I know I hide behind the laws."
She says, "You're only taking orders."
That's how every empire falls

A bitter wind blows through the country
A hard rain falls on the sea
If terror comes without a warning
There must be something we don't see

What fire begets this fire?
Like torches thrown into the straw
If no one asks, then no one answers
That's how every empire falls

- John Prine, 2005

Time Warp (4K)

2M views 1mo ago

IT was the GOP that did this first in Alaska... see the post at #7.

And they used the name of an out of state prison inmate.

- 9 billion in fraud in Minnesota?

"Tracked and Prosecuted Fraud: Investigative reviews by local media and state authorities found that actual prosecuted and charged social services/Medicaid fraud has totaled under $500 million (with the massive Feeding Our Future case accounting for roughly $250"$300 million of that amount)."

"That extraordinary passage shows how his aides are placating his anger. Yet new CNN polls show Democrats with leads in most of the key Senate races that will determine control.

So we talked to political scientist Tom Schaller, author of a good piece for the Public Notice Substack on MAGA culture.

We discuss whether those CNN polls are right, why Trump believes his influence over GOP voters will save the party, how a big Democratic night could break Trump-MAGA cultural power, and how that could allow Democrats to expand their coalition in coming years. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is here."

Transcript

- NAZI's knocked off all the other "socialist" to be the premiere Socialist party in Germany.

Said a total Know Nothing.

The first thing Hitler did after using very popular term "Socialism" in his Party name to get Elected was to... kill all the Socialists.

He, unlike the others you are confused about, was never one of them.

His National Socialism (Nazism) is a far-right, ultranationalist, racist, and totalitarian political ideology... never actual Socialism; nada to do with Communism.

Top 10 Patrick Stewart Performances
WatchMojoUK

Instantly recognisable and universally loved, Sir Patrick Stewart is one of Britain's finest actors. From X-Men to Star Trek, he has played some of Film and TV's most famous characters.

For this list, we're counting down the greatest Patrick Stewart performances.

Expect adaptations of Hamlet, A Christmas Carol and Moby Dick, as well as comic turns in Robin Hood, American Dad and Extras, with a role as Lord Yupa snuck in for good measure. Adieu.

"It's unclear what specific charges these members face beyond "serious disciplinary and legal violations". Such broad allegations have become routine under Xi's anti-corruption campaign.

It has now become "an effort to consolidate and maintain authority", says Chong Ja Ian, a non-resident scholar with Carnegie China.

"In this case, the campaign will continue and expand depending on how secure Xi feels rather than any real issue with corruption."

"Observers argue that Xi views corruption not just as graft but also ideological impurity and, crucially, disloyalty.

In January, he warned against "two-faced cadres" who profess political loyalty but defy orders and act in their self-interest."

;;

DJT is right again! He and Xi have SO much in common!

Make America China Again!!

They appear to be getting ready for post-Midterm loss of the House actions against Iran; actions that professional military leaders, non-Trump sycophants, don't approve of.

Vlad is truly proud of Agent Krasnov. Xi and Kim are ecstatic.

In Michigan, the epitome of a battleground state, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed (49%) has opened up a lead over Republican Mike Rogers (42%) among likely voters amid signs that the state's Democratic base has unified behind him, and that discouraged Republicans are checking out.

"Texas, which hasn't elected a Democrat in a statewide race in three decades, gives Democrat James Talarico (49%) a narrow lead over Republican Ken Paxton (43%) among likely voters. Talarico's bid benefits from deeply negative impressions of Paxton, as well as sizable support among the Black, Latino and Asian voters in the state who voted for Trump in 2024.

Early on, Maine was widely viewed as one of Democrats' best pickup opportunities this cycle, with Sen. Susan Collins the only Republican up for reelection in a state that voted Democratic in 2024.

But the race has remained a tight contest: The new poll of likely voters finds no clear leader between Collins (45%) and her Democratic challenger Troy Jackson (49%), even as the race has become squarely a referendum on Collins.

And in deep-red Kansas, there is no clear leader between Democrat Adam Hamilton (49%) and Republican Sen. Roger Marshall (45%), even as likely voters there say they would prefer Republicans to control the Senate.

Voters here largely view Marshall unfavorably and say their choices are about Marshall more so than Hamilton."

;;

Dems would need to win 4 seats to take the Senate, which seems iffy.

Musk is spending millions in TX for the Pedo Protector there, and Kansas?

If we're really lucky, we might not be in the old Kansas anymore, Todo.

It sounds like the GOP's real problem is that their candidates are thieves and criminals, not that the Dems are so popular, which to me doesn't bode well given the theory of the devil you know vs the devil you don't voting; a lot of people are likely to want to keep the devil they know.

Heil Musk does Vlad a favor on Starlink, Vlad calls him a genius.

Werks on DJT... who's trying to decide which man's arse he likes best.

"The claim that 35 million deaths have been linked to COVID-19 vaccine side effects is false.

Independent health experts and global fact-checking investigations have confirmed that this figure is based on a flawed math extrapolation of a June 2024 study published in the journal BMJ Public Health.

The actual origin and context of this statistic include:"

- future now Amish

Finally... some quality furniture.

I drove through Amish country a couple of years ago, passed a lot of their horse drawn carriages... but the kicker was the Amish farmer riding a flat board platform plow, no wheels, just pulled by two horses as he stood on the front applying the whip.

It was glorious Americana. Nice decorative barns, too!

You mean Ashley's stolen diary or Jill's non-existent imaginary diary?

I mean, with you it could be either.

Oh, and as was shockingly expected:

Fact Check: There is no evidence mRNA vaccines reduce life expectancy or cause severe health issues including infertility and neuro-cognitive problems

Rolled or in a pipe?

;0)

- the truth about RussiaGate, Hunter Bidens laptop, Jill bidens diary, COVID-1984, Ivermectin, and even UFO's!

The self-parody here is precious!

- Also, you're wrong about Communism.

What Communism? There's no important Nation States that are Communists today.

The only really important States are Crony Capitalist Oligarchies, including China, and now America... wtf are you smokin', Chester?

#21

Darlin', you have a conspiracy theorist view of the world in general, and it's laughable as it stumbles over the Facts about Putin and his Oligarch's Goals to restore the old Soviet Union, state by state AND NATO's obvious keeping Ukraine at a distance for literal decades.

You really should read the Facts in the Link you ignored in #15... you might not look so silly if you had done.

Sober up, see the light, Mister.

- Bankers in the Temple

That was a Great Grift, btw! DJT would be proud... the Priests who ran the Gov and the Religion also set the Monetary Exchange Rates so that the People would take a loss when bringing their taxes and tithes and other indulgences to the Temple.

It was actually much like the system we have now.

#18

Was that your 13 year old girl impression?

Prolly your best argument, though. Stick with it...

#14 | Posted by HeliumRat

Heliumlung... You poor deluded sot, it's only me.

- RussiaGate

Yes, where the GOP-led Sen Committee found half a ton of Russian Interference in the Election, much of it instigated by DJT's Campaign Manager... from Russia.

- you're a communist who claims to be a Christian. And that's just insane. You actually thought Antifa where the good guys. Jesus.

JC led a group of people who lived and traveled together and shared food and everything else they had among them... sorta like a commune.

Antifa uses a bit of violence, which is quite Christ-like really what with him taking a whip to the Bankers in the Temple and overturning their desks.

Like I said, lay offa the gas, good buddy.

#12

Not so much...

"There is no historical record or policy document showing that the Atlantic Council "decided it could break up Russia" in 2010.

In reality, the geopolitical landscape of 2010 was characterized by the exact opposite approach."

The New START Treaty: Signed by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in April 2010 to reduce nuclear arms.

The 2010 NATO Lisbon Summit: President Medvedev attended this summit in person. It launched joint discussions regarding cooperation on missile defense and securing supply lines through Russian airspace for the war in Afghanistan.

Economic Integration: The West was supporting Russia's integration into global markets, which ultimately culminated in Russia joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) shortly after.

Origin of the "Breakup" Narrative

The idea that Western organizations have long-standing plans to orchestrate the "balkanization" or breakup of Russia is a frequent theme in Kremlin state media and official rhetoric. Russian officials regularly point to Western think tank analyses as evidence of a hostile plot."

more

- finally Ukraine claiming it would join NATO so Russia invaded

Nato had been and continued to tell Ukraine "No Way, Buddy" for decades.

What happened to you and Vlad claiming that it was Nazis controlling Ukraine that caused poor brave Vlad to take his policy of targeting civilians with missiles from Syria to Ukraine?

#21

Your brain is very obviously direct evidence of capacity and output being equally limited. 20 years of evidence!

Just sayin'.