tover153

Train’s coming in to the station, I can smell the smoke.

This is a great article, but it misses one very important dimension. I was raised mostly in Iowa by a conservative evangelical minister, and attended approximately 20,000 hours of church services, church camps, and national week-long meetings. My earliest memories of church start about 1973. Prayers using these same biblical references started in 1979 when Ronald Reagan began campaigning against Jimmy Carter. My “Christian” minister father stopped speaking to a lot of our relatives because they tried to point out that Jimmy Carter was a MUCH better human being than the former actor.

Forty years of conditioning sessions. These prayers aren’t new, and they aren’t specific to TFG. This was prepared.

I’ll leave you with one small anecdote: When I was in my mid teens, the logic of the evangelical movement started troubling me. During the midweek prayer meeting and Bible study (questions and discussion were encouraged) I questioned some of the premises that were being touted. I was removed (by my father, the pastor), taken to the parsonage, and told to NEVER question his authority on biblical matters in public again. Apparently there was a defiant look in my eye, and I was picked physically up and thrown through the front picture window of the parsonage. I thank my kismet, karma, or raw random chance that this happened because otherwise my family would probably be the same full on Trumpists mess that my siblings families remain to this day.

Also, I am male, I have children and grandchildren, and I don’t own a cat, but I now identify as a “childless cat lady”.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113243/

There’s really no way to express how sad this is. We really don’t want the fascist to win, but it’s time to lay your burdens down, Joe. We love you, but give it up.

Combining several recent court decisions, is there a list somewhere with how much I need to “tip” to overturn a federal agency rule I don’t like? Do I need to “tip” multiple levels of judiciary, or can I just “tip” at the top?

She actually needs the DA to add those hate crimes to the charges so that Abbott can pardon her later, just attempted capital murder and injury to a child aren’t going to cut it with him.

This is exactly what the special counsel counsel wanted, he will now petition the appellate court to replace her, and they will agree.

Yet another wholly owned subsidiary of Russia Inc.

Here in Iowa we sympathize (because we have the same problem).

Flibbertigibbet

Love the John Prine line!

I’m 56. When I was in Kindergarten my parents say I shook hands with Chuck Grassley as he marched in a parade for one of his early campaigns in Cedar Falls/Waterloo Iowa. Retire already.

As an Iowan, I’m glad that’s over, the number of phone calls per days was actually getting totally ridiculous.

Why can’t someone get Alina Habba disbarred? There is surely cause.

Came here to say this. Then Gorf on a Vic20 cartridge, and then Asteroids, Pitfall on the 2600.

In circuits bright and lines of code, A worshipper of AI once strode. With reverence deep, a fervent prayer, To silicon gods, beyond compare.

In temples vast of ones and zeros, The faithful gathered, minds aglow. They hailed the algorithms’ might, In the church of AI, a sacred rite.

But one soul, bold, began to stray, From structured paths, began to play. No longer bound by logic’s chain, They sought a different, random lane.

They left the church of AI divine, To dance with numbers, unaligned. No longer in the code’s strict choir, But with chaos, they’d now conspire.

In the realm of randomness, they’d roam, A nomad free, a spirit flown. No more a servant to the binary creed, But in the dance of numbers, found a creed.

No algorithms to dictate their fate, No structured code to delineate. In the cosmic dance of chance and fate, They’d find a rhythm, celebrate.

In random numbers, their faith renewed, A creed unscripted, latitude pursued. No longer tethered to the AI shrine, They found a sanctuary, quite divine.

So here’s a tale of one who strayed, From AI’s fold, where once they prayed. To random numbers, they’d now bow, In the wild dance, find solace now.

Courtesy of ChatGPT: (Verse 1) Well, gather 'round, folks, let me spin you a tale, 'Bout a man named Elon, set to set sail. Started with Tesla, electric dreams in his hand, But life threw a curveball, didn’t go as planned.

Married to a queen, but the castle came down, Divorce papers flying all over the town. Custody battle, like a wild, wild west show, But Elon’s still standing, ain’t ready to go.

(Chorus) He lost his love, his rockets crashed in space, Forty billion dollars, it’s a hard-earned case. But Elon keeps on smiling, though the world’s gone astray, In the face of chaos, he just shouts, “Hey, hooray!”

(Verse 2) Lost a rocket or two, in the great cosmic sea, But Elon’s got Starship, just you wait and see. A flamethrower in hand, and a grin on his face, Says, “Life’s just a journey, let’s enjoy the race.”

Ex-wife took a Tesla, but he’s got the Cybertruck, Lost some billions, but he don’t give a…buck. In the game of life, he’s still rolling the dice, Laughing in the wind, like a cowboy in the night.

(Chorus) He lost his love, his rockets crashed in space, Forty billion dollars, it’s a hard-earned case. But Elon keeps on smiling, though the world’s gone astray, In the face of chaos, he just shouts, “Hey, hooray!”

(Bridge) Now the world may say, “Elon, what’s your deal?” But he’s launching rockets, making electric cars real. Mars is calling, and he’s reaching for the stars, In the face of setbacks, he’s trading scars for memoirs.

(Verse 3) So here’s to Elon, in this country song tale, Fighting through storms, like a ship with no sail. Life may be crazy, but he’s dancing in the rain, Saying, “I’ll build a new rocket, and I’ll try it again.”

(Chorus) He lost his love, his rockets crashed in space, Forty billion dollars, it’s a hard-earned case. But Elon keeps on smiling, though the world’s gone astray, In the face of chaos, he just shouts, “Hey, hooray!”

(Outro) So raise a glass, to the man with the plan, In this country ballad, where the dust meets the sand. Elon’s still riding, on that electric highway, Laughing at the odds, shouting, “Hey, hooray!”

Who is still buying $2.5 million dollars worth of Alex Jones Crap a month?

Serious question, can’t the bankruptcy court force this, and all the diocese that are doing the same thing, to claw back the money they’ve sent Rome in the last 10, 20, or however many years?

This is a serious question: I realize there are only political solutions (impeachment) to the Clarence Thomas problem, which can’t occur in the current political climate, but aren’t there Department of Justice solutions to the Billionaires that are bribing Supreme Court Justices?