mysteriousdrone

[mysteriousdrone]

As a Christian for most of my life and a pastor for nearly three decades, I'm quite familiar with the Old Testament narrative: supposedly faithful people fashioning an idol made of gold and cravenly bowing before it, in complete contempt for the God they claimed to believe in because they had lost their collective minds. This new American reboot is a little on the nose. It's also far more tragic. We've had a few thousand years to get it right. We shouldn't be here. Watching the corporate soul-selling of Christians here in America over the past ten years has been something that has grieved me more than I can measure or accurately describe.

[mysteriousdrone]

Being unpredictable is a dangerous way of doing foreign policy. Stable international politics depends on knowing what everyone else will do. You can’t do that with Trump. The downsides of unpredictability will be even worse in a conflict. In the case of Iran, adding even more uncertainty to a fragile situation will only add fuel to what is already a massive fire.

[mysteriousdrone]

Don't forget to include "opportunity costs".

[mysteriousdrone]

Did a loved one serially vote for Trump? Things to consider when deciding whether your Trump-voting dear friend is irredeemably toxic and needs to be excised. I always keep in mind that "Republican" is different from "MAGA" or "Trumper", as I decide. Jettisoning a loved one or dear friend is not a decision to be taken lightly. The general rule for me is: If Republican, it might be forgivable depending upon why they voted for Trump. If they are MAGA or Trumpers, cut them off; they're zombies.

[mysteriousdrone]

Faced with the choice in their daily lives, their work or their politics, why do some people decide to keep quiet, to censor themselves in anticipatory obedience, even if they’re not ordered to do so?

Some are lions. Some are mice.

[mysteriousdrone]

Friend Link https://medium.com/cultured-network/what-we-need-to-understand-about-juneteenth-004c2326b11e?sk=v2%2F49c2541f-0ca9-4f5e-8d70-d7c1747cbf92  

.........“Now is the time to do what is right. Now is the time to make justice, freedom, and democracy a reality for everyone living in the United States. Now is the time for the United States to embody the true meaning of its founding creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.” While it may be challenging for some to accept, “all people” means “ALL people.” One year before his assassination, King published his final book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? We face the same question today. While we may appear to be surrounded by chaos, we can still choose community. We choose “community” by promoting and working for the well-being and “common-unity” of all people. “Common unity” is the essence of community. As we commemorate and celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation and General Granger’s enforcement of that proclamation, it’s crucial not to confuse the historical milestone of emancipation with the ultimate goal of freedom. May we celebrate this Juneteenth by choosing community rather than chaos and committing ourselves to achieving the ultimate goal of freedom for all people.”.......

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“My duty is to call it out” Judge Young, who was appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan in 1985, called the terminations “arbitrary and capricious.” But he went further than other judges in the many impoundment suits, calling the administration out for its flagrant animus against racial and sexual minorities. “I am hesitant to draw this conclusion — but I have an unflinching obligation to draw it — that this represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community,” he said, according to Politico. “That’s what this is. I would be blind not to call it out. My duty is to call it out.“

* Some days I’m proud of my chosen profession. Trump’s abuse of the law made lawyers cool again. 

[mysteriousdrone]

This gambit may be among the worst of Netanyahu’s many bad judgment calls. While Trump blusters (“Tehran should evacuate!” “Unconditional surrender!”), his belated decision to sign the G-7 statement urging de-escalation, his stated preference for his own masterful negotiated deal, and his MAGA isolationist supporters’ aversion to foreign wars all indicate that the chances of engaging the U.S. in another Middle East war are likely misplaced. At most, what Israel has heard is a series of conflicting, vague statements. “President Trump has offered mixed messages since Israel launched its military campaign against Iran last week, vacillating from a hands-off approach to embracing diplomacy to at times suggesting that he was weighing further U.S. involvement,” the New York Times reported. “The contradictory comments have left a trail of confusion as Israelis, Iranians, and the broader Middle East try to understand whether the biggest conflict between Israel and Iran in history would escalate further and whether Mr. Trump, long opposed to foreign wars, would plunge the United States into one.”

[mysteriousdrone]

It may be more valuable to try to understand why scholars disagree rather than to claim they do not. When a consensus does emerge, it is more likely to do so organically and be evidenced in the absence of scholarly papers that contradict the theory under consideration. Even then, that consistency may change with new methods, new data, and new questions. In science, the pursuit of consensus is ill-conceived. Our goal should be the pursuit of truth. The more certain we are of something, the more we should encourage others to critically evaluate our beliefs to see if they withstand rigorous testing and, indeed, skepticism. Let skeptics be convinced by good data, not social pressure.

[mysteriousdrone]

In light of Trump's humiliating past few days, and his desperation for a change of momentum, I sadly submit three words: 1Wag 2The 3Dog.

I miss the days when the scandal was over the misuse of his little mushroom dick, rather than the current possibility of his causing mushroom clouds. Make no mistake, Trump is stupid enough to use nukes on Iran, and the temptation for this nasty toddler will be great if he thinks it will raise his status.

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[mysteriousdrone]

Nobody Enjoyed Trump's Stupid Parade | Drunk On Fox | No Kings: The Bigg...

The still decent people of America make their feelings about racist MAGA idiots and fascist assholes known to the world. Compare and Contrast: The biggest, mightiest protest in US history vs. the lamest, puny, boring, most un-American birthday parade in US history.

[mysteriousdrone]

Complaining about Trump is okay, but the real resistance begins with not excusing your MAGA friends, family, customers, and neighbors, no matter how uncomfortable it is to confront and shun them. Peacefully face them with complete confidence that your cause is just and that a confrontation is necessary for the greater good. But, prepare yourself with the truth that they have knowingly chosen to make fascism and bigotry the law of the land. It's hard not to gaslight yourself because you don't want to believe these are bad people. The temptation is strong and shared by all to be quiet and go about your day without added stress. But we can't. Our duty is greater than our comfort. Besides, they already hate you even if they don't say so. Yes, it's risky; they may never speak to you again, but a bad relationship is worse than none. The battleground is located in your personal social sphere. Don't hide behind a nebulous abstraction called Trump, but speak directly to those responsible for putting him in power. They did this. He obeys them. If you retreat from your sphere, they will win and do it again, and the world will suffer. Now is the time for individual courage. We are all responsible for our own battlegrounds. We trust each other to do our duty so that no holes in the line remain in barbarian hands. Defend your home! These deluded, currently awful people ( some can change ) are going to vote again soon. If you can't change their brainwashed minds, at least try to raise doubts to dampen their enthusiasm. Don't be ashamed of yourself later. Speak boldly. You know this is right and needs to be done.

[mysteriousdrone]

SNIPPET =  Judge Rachel Tanguay ruled that discovery must proceed in a lawsuit challenging the certified results of the 2024 presidential and U.S. Senate races in Rockland County, New York. In plain English: the court just gave permission to pop the hood, pry open the black box, and start looking at what’s really inside the count. And what’s inside already stinks. 

 This isn’t some tinfoil-hat spectacle. This is a case built on sworn voter affidavits, statistical anomalies, and cold hard data that suggest the official vote count might not match the votes that were actually cast. 

If proven true, it means Americans’ most sacred democratic right—the right to have your vote counted accurately—was violated. Now here’s the bigger punchline: what’s happening in Rockland is not unique. It is a local spark that could expose a national fire. 

 For decades, American elections have run on a fragile scaffolding of trust, volunteer labor, opaque systems, and patchwork machinery. When it works, it works. When it breaks, it’s damn hard to catch—and even harder to fix after the fact.

[mysteriousdrone]

This links to a vast collection of images and stories from No Kings Day. What an awesome day it was.