Messages

"I asked Xi how many wind farms do you have? They don't have a lot. Very few. Wind is tremendously expensive and very ugly. If you want a house inside of a windmill, your house is worth than less half. And you hear noises."

"You know, when I did the 250, there was nothing I could do. It was 250. It was 250. So I can't see -- that was my baby. The country happened to be 250 years old. But what I did do is during my first term, I got the Olympics, and I got the Great Soccer. You know that whole deal, right? I got -- we call it soccer. They call it football. I got them both. I got the Olympics. First, I got the Olympics, and I got it. I was president. And I said, you know, it's a shame. It's a shame. I got the World Cup, and I have the Olympics, and I did it. And you have no idea. President Obama didn't want to make a call to the Olympics. You know why? Because he went to Switzerland or wherever, and he said, you know, if a president goes to get the Olympics, you have to have a deal. You have to be chosen. He went there, and he came in fourth, so he hated them, I guess. And he was unwilling to make a call, and they called me up. The Democrats called me up, actually, from Los Angeles, and I said, I'll do it. I made the call, and I couldn't get the people off the phone because they were so starved for love, because nobody would call them from -- anyway, we made a deal. I got the Olympics. Then we got the World Cup with Johnny. We got the World Cup, and I got them both, and I looked at my people. I said, isn't it a shame? I got these two, but it wasn't in the next four years. It was right after that, and the one after that. And I got the Olympics, and I got the World Cup, and we also have 250, so that's a pretty wild term. But I got these two things that are incredible. Nobody else could have done it. I'm telling you, everybody wanted it. Nobody could have done it. And I said, and I won't be president, because I'll be president for four more years, but it won't be -- and then they cheated and rigged the election. They rigged -- you know, they don't even turn off the cameras when I say that now, because now they know it's true, too. But they knew it was true before. Remember, the cameras used to immediately turn off. You see all those beautiful red lights go off. Now I can say whatever I want, because then they know it's true. But they knew it was true before. It's fake news. That's why they call it. But you know what? This term is much more consequential than if I had done it the more traditional way. This was slightly harder, believe me. It's slightly more dangerous, because they're criminals on the other side that tried to put your president in jail and went after him, just like they do in third-world countries. And we all beat em together. We beat em because our level of popularity was so high."

My wife's cousin has moved her son out of his school after another kid pulled a knife on him. Apparently that school has a toxic and over-competitive sports culture where the parents go to games and roar at each other. It's a primary school.

So much for the "no new wars" promise.

My young ones are 3 and 6. Their screen time is strictly regulated. They get TV during the weekend only, and half of that is classic Disney DVDs from the local library that they come and help us pick out. We have no iPad or any tablet in the house. The missus and myself are not great at keeping our attention away from our phones, but we're better at not looking at them when the kids are about. I see some families at restaurants where every single one of them is looking at a screen in silence instead of talking to each other - it looks weird.

I don't know how much longer we're going to keep the smartphone door closed, but while it is I want to make sure the kids are immersed in as much wholesome activity as possible. They have to go outside and play every single day, and they're happy to do so. I draw roads with chalk on the driveway and they have fun for hours riding their bikes and scooters around them. We take them to museums, parks, and all sorts of places that don't involve looking down at screens. The older one is learning to read now, and we read to them every night.

My hope is that when the inevitable happens and the smartphones come into their lives, they'll have enough outside interests that the phones won't take over completely. Kinda like how we've never fed them sweets and they've never developed a sweet tooth, except maybe for ice cream (but even that's limited to weekends). But a lot depends on who their friends are and what kind of standards their parents have set, and we have no control over that. If she gets to the point where she's demanding a smartphone when all of her friends have one, it's going to be very hard to hold it back. I can't say I'm looking forward to it.

Protest at San Jose City Hall yesterday. Cops kept a very low profile. They hung out around the corner and mostly out of sight. All very peaceful.

So it looks to be over between the Donald & Musk

I'm surprised it lasted this long.

[A-ha - take on me]

A-ha - take on me
House of pain - jump around
Whigfield - Saturday night


Might be straining at the lease of OHW's but without doubt the songs they were remembered by.

I recently discovered that USAians think of A-Ha as one-hit-wonders. I was devastated. So much great work unheard in the States. I set up a playlist for my wife to listen to and she was blown away by how good they were.

The sun always shines on TV
Train of thought
You are the one
Hunting high and low
I've been losing you
Touchy
Cry wolf
Crying in the rain

Some beautiful work in there.

Then we have this. Yes there was insurrection on January 6th alright, mainly orchestrated by Polisi, sc**bag Schumer, Capitol Police and the FBI together with on the ground infiltration by both the FBI and Antifa dressed as Trump supporters. Last Friday the DOJ reached a 30M settlement with the family of an unarmed Ashli Babbitt who was murdered by Capitol Police Officer Michael Byrd.

One of the crimes of the century, up there with 911 and the Scamdemic yet Wokies are against deporting criminal gang members from the US and for imprisoning innocent J6ers.

https://forbiddennews.substack.com/p/j6er-held-for-4-years-expects-a-big?publication_id=1658626&post_id=162863204&isFreemail=true&r=2q42kp&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack

Let me know when the mothership arrives.

10 years ago, I had the finer details of my suicide more or less arranged.  I had it all set up to look like a fishing accident- in my little head, it would make things easier for my parents and siblings.
I can't pinpoint any one reason why I didn't follow through,  nor can I pick something significant that changed things, which is a balls because it could be a very useful help for anyone else in a similar position.
I had gone to one doctor and described some of the things that were happening physically (seizing up in anxiety or panic attacks), behaviour-wise (I was finding it utterly exhausting trying to project a normal disposition at home and in work), and socially (I could handle football training sessions and matches, I actually enjoyed that, but after used every excuse under the sun to avoid having to socialise.  Doubtless some thought I was getting into dairying, there was so many 'cows calving').
The doctor was old school, near retirement.  He more or less dismissed it, telling me not to think so much.  Oh f**ing grand, it that all it was? 
The next lad was far more helpful, couple of good chats, referrals if I wanted, and good practices within a schedule,  and after if there was no change, he'd prescribe medication.  That probably turned the wheel enough.  I still had a fair bit of heavy lifting to do myself, and through reading and drawing my own conclusions, things changed, bit by bit.
I'm so thankful that never in the last 10 years have I ever been as low, and for whatever reasoning,  I don't envisage getting to that stage again.  I still have those days, and wobbles now and then, but unlike back then, now I can react and steady the ship- I can deal with them fully or piecemeal,  but I don't let them accumulate or take me over.
I suppose my point is that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't just a cliche.  It will come, eventually,  no matter what.  You just have to give yourself the chance. There are always means for getting back control,  for getting yourself into the driver's seat in your mind, and not just being an unwilling and frightened passenger in your own mind.
If you happen to be in that spiral,  or going through a tough phase where you don't even feel like yourself,  keep going.  There are ways for everyone,  and you'll find yours. 
If you ever want to hear a bit more or have any questions you want to ask, let us know.  I'm no guru, I'm no professional,  I mightn't have many answers, but I'll try my best.  All I know is I'm here, and life is good.  It's not perfect,  but it's better than being a 10 year old statistic and a headstone.

Great post. And some great advice in there too. Fair play.

A lot of it would be predicated on Texas going blue, which could be a toss-up. Refugees from California's housing crisis keep moving to Austin, a city that has much more liberal building policies than anything you'd find in CA, so they can afford to go there. It just ended a 12-year streak as the country's fastest growing metro area, adding 50,000 residents from 2022 to 2023.

The NPVIC could be at least ten years away from getting done, so I'm not holding my breath for that one.

End of the day, long after Trump is gone nobody gonna trust the US again, once bitten twice shy. Americans find that out in the long run. Nxt Iraq type war, they be going it alone.

Yep, even if things swing back towards sanity in the next couple of elections, who's to say the MAGAts won't be back again after that to throw the whole thing into turmoil again. Other nations will simply not be able to rely on the US going forward.

The following needs to happen:

• Texas needs to turn blue in 2028, followed by the end of voter suppression there so that it can stay blue
• DC statehood
• Puerto Rico statehood
• Supreme Court expanded to compensate for the illegitimate justices put there on Mitch McConnell's watch
• National Popular Vote Interstate Compact enacted to scrap the electoral college (much easier to do after Texas swings blue)
• Voting Rights Act restored

The NPVIC is currently at 209 of the 270 required electoral votes, with legislation pending in 119 EVs' worth of states. Texas would get it to 249.

Corey Booker just did something remarkable. Should raise his profile among Dems who are longing for an Obama-like figure.

What did he achieve apart from raising his profile?

The Democrats need new leadership. There's a deep field to choose from, and Booker has always been a strong candidate. Raising his profile has value. It's not like he's going to single-handedly block everything Trump is trying to do, the Dems just don't have the numbers. The people whining about how he dIdN't dO eNoUgH are the same people who stayed at home when they had a chance to go out and vote for a Democratic President and a Democratic majority in the Senate, so I'm not terribly interested in what they have to say at this point.

That said, meeting with Gallant is not a good look considering how Democratic opinion is turning against Israel.

Speaking of new leadership, there are growing calls for AOC to primary Chuck Schumer and get into the Senate. It'd be a turn-up for the books if she pulled that off. Plenty of Sanderistas would row in behind her if she did.

Corey Booker just did something remarkable. Should raise his profile among Dems who are longing for an Obama-like figure.

This is precisely what Western (pro Zelensky) governments and their media arms are doing isn't it Gerry? These great principled leaders are ALL in on Israel and in the same breath ALL in on Ukraine.
How are you coping with the cognitive dissonance? Must be tough.

We can all agree it's a truly fcked up world and it looks (to my eye anyway) like it's accelerating in what appears to be a pre planned negative direction.

This George Orwell quote resonates
"All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force."

Nice try.

So in order to weasel out of your support for fascist Russia but condemnation of fascist Israel you equate me with hypocritical western governments.

I am answerable only to myself. No cognitive dissonance here.

Unlike yourself - crying about Palestinians* but an apologist, propagandist and excuser of attempted Russian genocide of the Ukrainian nation.


*when murdered by Israel only - those murdered by Assad or Hezbollah are of no concern and can be discarded for ideological reasons.

Stop feeding the troll. He's like a gramophone with the needle stuck.