Ace of Spades HQ

April 07, 2026

Gavin Newsom Directs $19 Million in California Taxpayer Money to Madison Avenue to Improve California's Reputation -- Just as Gavin Newsom Is Running for President and Personally Needs California's Image to be Remade

Wow, a Democrat taking taxpayer money for his own personal benefit.

I gotta tell you guys, I did not see this one coming. It just snuck up on me.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is hoping to to boost California's tarnished image on the national stage -- so he's throwing millions in taxpayer money at a high-powered New York public relations firm to do it for him.

The governor's Office of Business and Economic Development awarded PR powerhouse Edelman a contract worth up to $19 million to burnish the Golden State's reputation, KCRA reported.

Edelman -- which also does work on behalf of mega-companies like Dove, Starbucks, eBay and Heineken -- will be tasked with combating "negative narratives amplified online and in partisan media" about California while promoting the state's economy and tourism.

...

The contract begins on April 6 and will run through then end of the year, which nearly coincides with end of the governor's term in early 2027.

Oh you mean January 2027, as the official primary season begins in earnest. How convenient.

The state agency previously told the outlet that the campaign wouldn't be about Newsom himself, but California.

"The campaign will tell the California story, not the Gavin Newsom story," the agency said. "The effort is about California's success, not about politics."

Uh-huh. You're just rebutting "partisan narratives" but not for any partisan purpose. Sure.



A Newsom spokesperson previously told the Los Angeles Times that California's business climatehas been "falsely and maliciously maligned for years," and that the "state has a right to tell the true story."

Weird that he didn't want to tell this "true story" in years when he wasn't running for president. People and businesses have been fleeing California for six years, you know.

...

News of the contract drew ample criticism.

"Gavin Newsom is giving 19 million California taxpayer dollars to a New York PR firm to promote California in a better light to the nation. Which does not at all sound like Gavin Newsom is making a presidential campaign ad for himself," Kevin Dalton, who ran for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, wrote on X.


"Californians aren't being asked, they're being billed," added Republican congressional candidate Christine Bish.

Speaking of California politicians raiding the public fisc for their own benefit and to pay off their donors: Gavin Newsom's Obama-Biden boondoggle to spend tens of billions of dollars on a "high speed train" from LA to San Francisco -- when that route is well-serviced by planes and, well, a nice car ride if you have half a day to spare -- that even 60 Minutes noticed.

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 05:20 PM | Comments (299) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Sons and Nieces of High-Ranking Islamic Occupation Army of Iran Officials Have Been Living High on the Hog In the US -- But Are Now Getting Their Satanic Asses Deported Back to Their Homeland Hellhole

The son of Iran's chief of propaganda lives in, get this, California, and makes his living, get this, teaching schoolchildren.

The son of a notorious Iranian regime leader is enjoying an affluent lifestyle in Los Angeles, the California Post can reveal.

Campaigners are calling for Eissa Hashemi, 43, to be investigated and deported for defiantly refusing to denounce his mother's sickening past.

On Monday, he appeared unfazed by the controversy and defiantly brushed off a reporter's questions, declining to speak after a workout at his fancy gym.

The college psychology lecturer is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, known as "Screaming Mary," who acted as spokesperson for violent militants who stormed the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

She was infamous worldwide for firing off twisted propaganda during the crisis, even encouraging captives to describe the punishing ordeal in glowing terms.

Ebtekar was later promoted to Vice President for Women and Family Affairs by regime leaders -- becoming the country's first female VP and one of the highest-ranking women in the Muslim world today.

In January, protestors gathered at the $20,000 a year Chicago School in in Claremont, east LA, and other teaching institutions in the area with links to Hashemi, for rallies calling for him to be deported.

Organizers of Change.org petitions want Hashemi to be kicked out of the country.

One wrote: "While the mother has no regret of occupying the US embassy in Tehran, many Iranians have been affected by this action while her own son has taken advantage of living in the US.

"We want Issa Hashemi and his wife, Maryam Tahmasebi to be fired from the US as soon as possible."

A poster on Instagram said: "Mr. Hashemi has never publicly distanced himself from his mother's actions or legacy."

...


Another said: "47 years ago, Masoumeh Ebtekar took U.S. diplomats hostage for 444 days and threatened to kill them.

"Today, her son, Isa [sic] Hashemi works for Chicago School of Professional Psychology and lives freely in Los Angeles."

And one more added: "His father was also one of the core group of leaders of the Muslim Students Followers of the Imam's Line and several of the former hostages, including my father, positively identified him as being present during their torture and interrogation.

"His mother was perhaps even crueler than some of the other captors. This guy has no business being in this country. I've been dogging him since 2015."

Okay, he's not being deported. Yet.

But the pampered niece and grand-niece of Iran's top terror commander and Austere Religious Scholar Qasem Soleimani -- assassinated by airstrike by Trump in his first term -- were just arrested by ICE and scheduled for deportation.


The niece of slain Iranian terror mastermind Gen. Qasem Soleimani -- who showcased her luxe LA lifestyle on Instagram while bashing the US as the "Great Satan" -- and her daughter have been arrested by ICE agents, the State Department announced Saturday.

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, who allegedly celebrated attacks on US soldiers and military bases, and her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny, have had their green cards revoked over their ties to the Iranian regime.

"While living in the United States, she promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the 'Great Satan,' and voiced her unflinching support for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organization," according to a State Department letter confirming the Friday arrests.


Afshar, 47, entered the US in 2015 on a tourist visa, was granted asylum in 2019 and secured a green card in 2021 from the Biden administration.


She made at least four trips back to Iran since receiving her green card, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Hosseniy, 25, also entered the US in 2015 on a student visa. She became a green card holder in 2023.

Her online persona was at odds with the Shia Islam her mother espoused.


Photos on her since-deleted social media reveal the bikini-clad babe showing off stomach tattoos and lounging on a jetski in barely-there swimsuit.

Other Instagram posts show Hosseiny clubbing in Miami, vacationing in Alaska, and partying down in Las Vegas.

"It is a privilege to be granted a green card to live in the United States of America. If we have reason to believe a green card holder poses a threat to the US, the green card will be revoked," Lauren Bis, a DHS spokesperson, told The Post.

The State Department also referenced Afshar's extravagant life in Los Angeles, which she allegedly frequently documented on her Instagram account, which has also apparently been deleted.

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 04:22 PM | Comments (345) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Chinese Spy Humper and Treasonous Russia Hoaxer Eric Swalwell Accused of Sexual Harassment and Misusing Funds

Wow, a Democrat who uses his office to enrich himself and predate* upon underlings.

I shan't believe it. I simply shannot.

But believe all women amitire

MD Kittle at The Federalist:

The office of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., offers internships "for college students to gain valuable work experience ... [and] absorb the many functions of a Congressional office." If the growing harassment allegations against the leftist lawmaker and leading Democrat candidate for California governor are true, Congress may want to put the kibosh on Swalwell's tutelage program for young women.

It seems the accomplice media has been too busy falling all over themselves in their absurd attempt to make Swalwell a martyr of President Donald Trump's "weaponization of law enforcement" to pay much attention to the women coming forward accusing the swamp rat of inappropriate sexual conduct.

Swalwell's flacks are furiously trying to explain away why the smarmy Democrat's campaign spent north of $300,000 on "private attorneys who specialize in white-collar criminal defense and employment law." They told KCRA 3 in Sacramento the payments were for legal guidance to fend off Trump's "retaliatory investigations" into Swalwell that have "put his family and staff at risk." After all, If you can't trust a morally corrupt congressman who fervently peddled the Russia collusion hoax, who can you trust?

'Pattern of Manipulation and Abuse of Power'

Cheyenne Hunt, a Democrat who in 2024 ran unsuccessfully for California's 45th Congressional District seat, posted on her social media sites that she has been "working with a number of women who are in the process of coming forward and sharing their stories of sexual harassment and even alleged abuse at the hands of Eric Swalwell." Hunt, who serves as executive director of the liberal organization Gen-Z for Change, claims a "major news outlet" is preparing to publish a story on the allegations.

"So let me be as clear and transparent about that as I safely can be," she said in a video posted to her Facebook page. "I am personally working with a group of women who want to come forward and share their stories. I am also aware of a much larger group that is also in this process that I am not personally working with."

Hunt says the group has pro bono legal representation to protect the victims' "legal and physical safety" as they share their experiences about Swalwell, adding that a number of women have come forward since a previous post last month. In that post she accused Swalwell of having a "predatory history toward women."

Meanwhile, Trump appears to have made a major mistake in California. He endorsed Republican Steve Hilton for governor. The problem is that this is a jungle primary and there was no need to endorse either Republican yet -- both can win the jungle primary and then face each other mano a mano -- no Democrat candidate! -- in the general. But this means it's likely that Hilton will cannibalize a big chunk of his Republican rival's support, and easily win the jungle primary -- along with a Democrat, who will then go on to easily beat him.

This is Mark Halperin's analysis but I don't see any fault with it. The only way a Republican can win in California -- unless Californians are finally so sick of Democrats they'll go against 50 years of voting history for a change -- is to run against another Republican. This increases the odds that Hilton will lose the governor's race.

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 03:23 PM | Comments (316) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Schmoll: In 2006, Democrats Led in Net Favorability by 18 Points. In 2018, by 12. And Now?
Republicans Lead by Five.

Video of CNN informing its audience that Democrats are not doing that well below.

7 CNN: Republicans lead in net favorability ahead of the 2026 midterms

Republicans vs Democrats net favorability

2006: 🔵 D+18
2018: 🔵 D+12
2026: 🔴 R+5

That's a SEVENTEEN point swing.

Posted by: Washington Nearsider: Gotterdammerung at April 07, 2026 01:43 PM (FmapG)

Democrats do lead on the "generic congressional ballot," but by a historically small lead: five points.



Yes, they're ahead -- but only barely. Given historical precedent and the current political environment, they should be running away with it.

But they're not.

"This lead is historically low for Democrats at this point with a Republican president," Enten said. "On average, their lead's actually slightly less. It's five points. That's less than it was back in 2018 when it was eight points and way less than it was during the 2006 cycle when it was 11 points."

Five points.

Now, I don't exactly trust the approval rating polls showing that President Donald Trump at -20 or -30, but still, with numbers like that, Democrats should be crushing the GOP in the general congressional ballot, but they're not.

"You'd make the argument, Democrats should be way ahead, and they're just only sort of slightly ahead," Enten pointed out.

In Virginia, Abigail Spannberger, a woke Deep State traitor, ran as a "moderate centrist."

This was, of course, a lie to con the rubes.

But the rubes are noticing, and her approval rate is plunging as Virginia voters realize they've been lied to.

Just two months into her term of office, Gov. Spanberger's approval polling is barely above water. Her win last year was supposed to be the victory of pragmatic moderation over the voices of the far left, but since then Virginia voters seem to have realized she's a left-wing partisan, not a moderate. Today the Washington Post has a story about this sudden turnaround.
Advertisement


Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's approval rating stands at 47 percent two months into the Democrat's term, with 46 percent of voters disapproving and 7 percent expressing no opinion in a Washington Post-Schar School poll.

Spanberger won in a 15-point landslide last year after touting her reputation for bipartisanship built on three terms representing a conservative-leaning district in Congress. But her current ratings reflect sharp polarization among Virginia voters in their views of the state's first female governor.

The approval mark for Spanberger is 13 percentage points lower than the average for Virginia governors in Post polling since the 1990s. Her near-even split between approval and disapproval is a worse net approval rating than the early-term scores of her predecessors in previous Post polls. It is also slightly weaker than ratings of her immediate predecessor, Glenn Youngkin (R), in a Post-Schar School poll last fall, showing he ended his term with 50 percent approval and 46 percent disapproval.


So where is the "sharp polarization" coming from? It's coming from Spanberger herself who hasn't been content to focus on affordability and is instead focused on issues like making sure police don't cooperate with ICE.

The Democrats, of course, intend to lie their way into office this year. They will almost all claim to be moderate, except for the designated woke warrior bomb-throwers in safe districts who will be allowed to preach the True Democrat Religion.

It's important to really push the Spannberger story and show that she lied and therefore all the other Democrats running the Spannberger Playbook are lying as well.

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 02:18 PM | Comments (328) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Tuq'r Qarlson Attacks Trump: "No President Should Mock Islam"
Also Trots Out His New Demented Theory That Trump Might Be the Actual Literal Antichrist of the Book of Revelations

Let me just get this out of the way since the trolls are already here. (Is it funny, by the way, that we leave them in peace while they cannot stop attempting to annoy us into submission and threatening us that By God I'll Vote for Kamala Harris Just Like Nick Fuentes Told Me To If You Don't Obey My Tantrum!)


Below, in 2006, Tuq'r Qarlson said that he would vote for someone who declared "I'm a bigot, I don't like Islam, call me a racist, call me whatever you want."

And now? "A president should not mock Islam."

I assume that this is in reference to Trump ending some Truth social posts with "Peace be to Allah" or that kind of thing, which I'm not even sure is mockery. He might mean it in the George W. Bush kind of way.

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 01:10 PM | Comments (425) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Iran Media Celebrates the Great Islamic Victory in Rescue of F-15 WSO; Joe Kent Spreads Iran Propaganda Lie That US Was Attempting to Kill the Weapons Officer Rather Than Rescue Him

Who put forward Joe Kent's name? Whoever did should be fired. I'm guessing it was Tulsi Gabbard but I don't know that.

He's a traitor and don't give me that jazz that servicemembers can't be traitors. Benedict Arnold was a capable commander until he turned over West Point to England.

He posted a dishonest message that PJs (pararescue men, who I thought were Pararescue Jumpers, but no one seems to call them that) are "the best" while posting Iranian propaganda funneled through Iran's American agents at DropSite news that the US was attempting to murder its own man.


American GIs, Tokyo Joe has a new message for you. The IRGC is having its way with your wives and girlfriends, American GIs.


Ex-Trump counterterror honcho Joe Kent promotes disturbing Iranian propaganda claiming US tried to kill stranded soldier

By Emily Crane
Published April 6, 2026, 4:29 p.m. ET

Conspiracy theorist and ex-National Counterterrorism Center boss Joe Kent has been called out for promoting wild Iranian propaganda that suggested the United States was actually trying to kill a downed American airman -- just hours before he was dramatically rescued.

Kent, who abruptly resigned from his Trump administration position last month in protest over Iran, got into a war of words with CNN's Jake Tapper on Monday after the former counterterror honcho was called out for peddling the false claims.

He had shared an article from Iranian state media over the weekend that claimed the US was actively bombing the same area where the missing airman was believed to be.

Oh I'm getting to that, below. American warplanes and drones released, a former pararescue man reports based on his insider knowledge, "violence of Biblical proportions" in the "FAFO box" around the downed airmen.

No, Tokyo Joe, it wasn't to kill the wizzo. It was to eradicate hundreds of Islamic Occupation Army thugs hunting him and rushing to his position.


The pro-regime outlet was reporting that the Trump administration had "lost hope" of finding the American soldier and was now trying to kill him before he could be captured by Iranian forces.


Kent shared the post before President Trump revealed hours later that the crewman had finally been rescued in a daring operation behind enemy lines.

Tapper, for his part, was quick to ridicule Kent "nonsense" post -- arguing his theory hadn't aged well.

"Former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent sharing Iranian state-linked outlet nonsense claiming, falsely, that the US was trying to kill the then-lost US pilot," Tapper posted on X.

...

A defensive Kent quickly fired back, accusing Tapper and other media outlets of trying to "promote this foolish war & attack anyone who points out how this war isn't in our nation's interest."

You know, most traitors believe they're doing the right thing by championing a foreign country over their own. Plus, traitors tend to be enormous egotists, narcissists really, who always know better than everyone else.

Here's some background about the foreign propaganda mill "Drop Site News."


The madwoman that Tokyo Joe leaked to instead of doing his actual job has some thoughts as well:

candaceowensiran.jpg

Let's turn away from the American branch of Iran State Media to the Iranian branch.

They're celebrating their great victory in capturing sensitive American technology, like... candy and power bars.

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 12:10 PM | Comments (321) | Trackbacks (Suck)

The Morning Rant

punk-monkey.jpg

Bernard Lewis, the great scholar of Islam, said:

For Muslims, negotiation is a form of warfare, conducted by other means, and is subject to the same rules.

In the traditional Islamic view, the world is divided into the House of Islam and the House of War. The latter is assumed to be at war with Islam until it submits... weakness invites attack, strength commands respect.

Westerners, and particularly Western governments often make the ridiculous assumption that Muslims are part of the empirical, logic-driven philosophy of the West. And even more laughable...they assume that honor, and simply doing what one says one will do is a bedrock of Muslim culture, just as it is in the West.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Lies, subterfuge, propaganda...all are accepted methods of negotiation in the Muslim world. The idea that there is some sort of code of honor between people is laughable. Strength is lauded; weakness is mocked and taken advantage of. And following through with commitments is simply unheard of. Behavior is based on what is best for Family, Clan, Country. If that agrees with an agreement, then wonderful. If not...it is also wonderful.

Trump confirms U.S. sent guns to Iranian people, but says intermediary kept them

President Donald Trump on Monday indicated that the U.S. had attempted to send guns to the Iranian people to help them fight the Islamic Republic's armed forces, but that the intermediary that was supposed to distribute the weapons merely kept them instead.

"We sent some guns," he said. "They were supposed to go to the people so they could fight back against these thugs. You know what happened? The people that we sent them to kept them."

"So, I am very upset with a certain group of people and they're gonna pay a big price for that," he added.


President Trump is understandably frustrated by what is a common behavior in the Muslim world. Cheating and stealing? Yeah...so? But unlike his predecessors, President Trump may very well punish that behavior, which would be a novel response in the Western world. The Muslim world has come to expect the West to negotiate from a position of weakness, because they simply do not understand the Muslim mindset. While it is unclear that President Trump understands it, it is abundantly clear that he doesn't like it.

Iran expected a typical Western military campaign...a few bombs, a few missiles, and they could then get back to their strategy of obfuscation and delay while working to create a missile force that would be unstoppable.

That President Trump turned that on its head is a testament to his resolve, and his understanding of the geopolitical reality of a nuclear Iran. But most of all it is obvious that he does not trust the Iranian hierarchy, and that is a sea change in Western dealings with the Muslim world!

[Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter and X/Twitter]. If you folks who are on X/Twitter would follow us it would be much appreciated!

Posted by: CBD at 11:00 AM | Comments (219) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Mid-Morning Art Thread

Feininger Palace1.jpg

Near the Palace
Lyonel Feininger

Posted by: CBD at 09:30 AM | Comments (353) | Trackbacks (Suck)

The Morning Report — 4/7/26

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Good morning kids. This morning it's all about miracles and wonders. on the last episode of the podcast linked here and in the sidebar
also available on the popular platforms listed at the bottom of the post I poo-pooed the Artemis moon mission but colleague and cob CBD observed how the mission was yet another confirmation of, despite all our many and serious problems, the greatness of this nation in being able to send a sophisticated piece of technology and an incredibly skilled and brave crew on a half million mile journey to the moon and return safely please God. it was plain for all the world to see. while I do question the necessity of the government to be funding and involved in space technology and exploration, the Artemis mission and most especially the free market enterprises such as SpaceX are engaging in the necessary task of giving America the edge in securing the ultimate high ground for our national security and future prosperity. So consider me duly chastised in this regard. I hope that despite it being yet another DC Bureaucracy, perhaps Nasa and its partners in the private sector and the War Dept. can overcome the typical pitfalls of bureaucracy and make great strides in the aforementioned. Maybe I'm being more than a bit Pollyannaish, but still, here we are 53 years after the last lunar mission and making history again.

“You’ve made history and made all America really proud, incredibly proud,” Trump told the four astronauts just hours after they emerged from the far side of the moon. “Humans have really never seen anything quite like what you’re doing in a manned spacecraft,” Trump marveled. “It’s really special.” The commander in chief was introduced to the crew by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who noted the president “wanted to be the first person to greet you after your return from the far side of the moon.” 

As awe-inspiring as this is, for my money there is nothing more inspiring and incredible as the bravery and daring of our men and women in uniform.

U.S. special operations forces rescued the second crew member from a downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran after a “heavy firefight,” successfully extracting both airmen and all rescue personnel from the country, according to multiple reports.
U.S. officials told Axios and Fox News the high-risk combat search-and-rescue mission recovered the weapon systems officer more than a day after the aircraft was shot down, concluding a complex operation that unfolded behind enemy lines. The weapon systems officer had evaded capture after ejecting alongside the pilot, using Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training to move away from the wreckage and take cover on elevated terrain while activating an emergency beacon, according to reporting cited by Fox News.


“The CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians, who were desperately hunting for our airman. On Saturday morning, we achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America’s best and bravest was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice, still invisible to the enemy but not to the CIA,” Ratcliffe said. (RELATED: Israeli Airstrike Takes Out Top Iranian Intel Chief, Officials Say)

Well, I imagine if John Brennan was still running Langley, he'd have guided the IRGC right to the downed airmen. The same Brennan who helped concoct the deception campaign known as the Russian collusion hoax.

hopefully now we can finish the job or at long last the Persian people can rise up and finish off the Mullahs.

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States attempted to supply Iranian protesters with weapons this year so they could defend themselves against another massacre, but the effort was not successful because Kurdish intermediaries decided to keep some of the guns for themselves.

I and doubtless many of you had contemplated this kind of move. well to be fair the Kurds have been the targets of the mullahs, Saddam Hussein and the Turks because of their national aspirations and so arming them I suppose was a bridge too far for the Foggy Bottom bottom dwellers. That said to play devil's advocate do we really want to arm a potential insurgent force that could carry out terroristic acts in the same vein as the Basque separatists of Eta or the Ira?
then again the Kurds are not fanatical islamists. but if they can destabilize and counter the IRGC and mullahs maybe it's missed opportunity.

with that...

Have a great day!


And lastly, a quick shout-out and a huge thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.

Have a great day!


And lastly, a quick shout-out and a huge thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.


Posted by: J.J. Sefton at 07:25 AM | Comments (422) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Daily Tech News 7 April 2026

Top Story

  • A critical security vulnerability has been discovered in the leaked version of Claude Code. (Adversa)

    If you've used Claude Code, you've noticed that it loves running shell commands to examine your codebase, rather than, say, reading it. Or having simple fixed-function code built into the software to do it on your computer.

    And it also loves to ask you for permission to run those shell commands.

    The vulnerability comes into play when a very long string of shell commands are run together. For the first fifty commands it will check - manually if needed, and in its history of permitted and denied commands if it's in there already.

    And on the fifty-first command, it rests. And executes it regardless.

    So if someone triggers a long string of commands and the first fifty are innocuous, after that they can take full control of your computer - because Claude Code runs on your computer, and just communicates with the Claude AI service as needed.

    The particularly lovely thing here is that Anthropic already fixed this.

    But both versions are present inside Claude Code and it using the broken one.


  • The cult of vibe coding is insane. (Bram Cohen)

    Claude Code is the preeminent vibe coding tool.

    Guess how it was coded? Guess how that horrible bug stayed in, even after it was fixed.

    You'll never guess.

    Oh, you guessed.


Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM | Comments (87) | Trackbacks (Suck)

April 06, 2026

Overnight Open Thread [04/06/2026]

sunrescue26.jpg

The rescue was an Easter miracle. The enemy was large and violent. The rescuers were brilliant, strong, decisive and as cool as anyone can be.
-- President Donald Trump

Bravery never goes out of fashion
-- William Makepeace Thackery

But the bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out to meet it.
-- Thucydides

Where all your rights become only an accumulated wrong; where men must beg with bated breath for leave to subsist in their own land, to think their own thoughts, to sing their own songs, to garner the fruits of their own labours...then surely it is a braver, a saner and a truer thing, to be a rebel in act and deed against such circumstances as these than tamely to accept it as the natural lot of men.
-- Sir Roger Casement

There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.
-- Alexander Hamilton

Posted by: CBD at 09:52 PM | Comments (696) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Monday Cafe

jonathanthetortoise193yearsyoung.jpg
Jonathan the Tortoise, 193 years young

Raising a beautiful orphaned joey.

A senior dog was dumped at the shelter, but found a better family.

One-dog reenactment of Sunset Boulevard.

Dog-punking: a national scourge. I thought we had outgrown this cruelty.

Dog is the star of the game -- he retrieves the kicking tee after kickoffs. This isn't normal, right? I've never heard of this before.

A golden retriever was used as breeding dog with each of her puppies taken from her. Now she's been rescued. And she treats stuffed animals as if they're the puppies taken from her.

A hero dog protected his family from a bear that slashed and bit him. He's healing up now. The bear remains at large and out of control.

Dog and goose are friends.

Jay Mohr impersonates Bill Burr and his shitty superior attitude.

Naughty little elephant brother.

Hot song from 1936. I know people use AI to make parody versions of early naughty songs, but this is apparently real. Lyrics here.

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 07:00 PM | Comments (395) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Blowin' Up Stuff Real Good Open Thread

This guy is funny. He's a good shot, so he must know about gun safety. But his familiarity breeds contempt. For example, can you spot which weapon-handling mistakes he's making in this video?

I've cued up these videos to the most explosive parts, but there's a lot of good stuff throughout them.

Hunting oxygen tanks.

Shooting an oxygen tank inside a car.

Firing all four barrels of a four barrel shotgun at a watermelon at inadvisably close range.

In one of the dumbest "tests" he does, he puts a grenade in an oven and then blasts it with a flamethrower for a minute (from a yard away, mind you) to see what happens. I don't know if this is real. There's a cut between the grilling of the grenade and the actual detonation.

Shooting a crossbow bolt through spray propellant cans.

A .50 cal Barrett versus propane and oxygen and acetylene tanks. Stay with this one until he takes the second shot, and then skip ahead to him shooting the other tanks. He takes another big second shot here, too.

Shooting a whole bunch of propane and oxygen tanks with an M60.

Can you blow up oxygen and propane tanks inside a van you've rigged to drive in a circle by shooting it with a .50 cal machine gun? I should warn you this one's a damp squib but it's fun watching the van get shot to pieces.

In this one, he shoots at a Pepsi vending machine with ever-larger calibers. He only does real damage with the Barret and I think the .408. I've cued it up to the part after that, when he decides to just put a grenade in it.

Can you explode an oxygen tank inside a safe with armor-piercing incendiary rounds?

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 05:40 PM | Comments (230) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Iran Rejects Cease-Fire Proposal

Iran Rejects Latest Cease-Fire Proposal, Wants Permanent End to War

Iran has rejected a new cease-fire proposal from the United States, insisting instead on a permanent end to the conflict along with firm guarantees against future attacks, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The decision, announced on April 6, comes just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face potential strikes on key infrastructure, including power plants and bridges.

Iran communicated its response through Pakistan, signaling that it is unwilling to accept a temporary pause in hostilities.

“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran’s diplomatic mission in Cairo, said in remarks to The Associated Press.

“We only accept an end to the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”

Posted by: CBD at 04:20 PM | Comments (307) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Groundhog Daze Open Thread

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 03:00 PM | Comments (320) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Far Side Fly-By Open Thread

We like da moon.

As we round the moon, the crew will be the farthest away from earth men have ever traveled. (They always have to work some kind of a "FIRST!" into these missions, much like commenters.)

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 01:40 PM | Comments (461) | Trackbacks (Suck)

A Myriad Marbles Open Thread

I'll just be posting open threads today unless something big happens. (If cobloggers really want to post something, let me know. We're wide open.)

Hope you're enjoying your post-Easter Monday.

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 12:20 PM | Comments (370) | Trackbacks (Suck)

King Charles at Easter vs at Ramadan; The Anglican Bishop’s Plea for Charles to Save Christianity in Britain

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The titular head of the Church of England did not deliver an Easter message this year. (“Buckingham Palace Confirms King Charles Will Not Issue Easter message this year.” Charles was not so reticent during Ramadan a few weeks back, going on social media and “Wishing all Muslims in the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world a blessed and peaceful Ramadan.” The King also hosted an iftar at Buckingham Palace to celebrate Ramadan in 2025.

King Charles has not been shy about his great admiration for Islam. He has praised it profusely while condemning Christians for hatred and bigotry against Muslims. Not only did Charles apologize for the Crusades, but he has also expressed his respect for Muslim claims to a permanent caliphate in Spain, since the Moors conquered the Iberian peninsula fair and square - before the reconquesta restored Christianity to that part of Europe. Charles has condemned Christians for misunderstanding sharia, and also for misunderstanding our lying eyes when we are appalled at the sight of a woman in a burqa.

In Charles’ 2024 Christmas address, the King was contemptuous of those who engaged in “anger and lawlessness” following the Southport knife attack, but he had not a word of criticism for the attackers. 13 people were stabbed in that incident. The dead included three children under the age of 10. King Charles made it abundantly clear that his sympathies were with the knife wielders, not their victims.

Charles is also famously enamored of another non-Christian religion, the climate cult, throwing his support behind the goal of a net zero future, which would impose a lower standard of living and crippling energy costs on his subjects.

While I have no great affection for British royalty, the institution should serve as a bulwark to protect Christianity against an emerging caliphate. King Charles is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and his royal duties include protection of the Christian faith therein. The King has clearly abdicated that role.

Anglican Bishop Ceirion Dewar recently published a widely distributed letter to King Charles, addressing the existential crisis resulting from Britain surrendering its Christian heritage.

I’ve posted the entire transcript of the letter below the fold, but here are a few quotes that capture the gravity of the letter:

“I write to you neither as a politician nor as a commentator, but as one of your loyal subjects who, as a bishop of Christ’s Church, cannot remain silent while the Christian foundations of this kingdom are steadily dismantled.”

• “From the abbeys of medieval England to the parish churches of our villages, from the preaching of the Reformers to the missionary zeal that carried the Gospel to the ends of the earth, the Christian faith has not merely influenced Britain — it has defined her.”

• “Christian belief is mocked in the public square. Christian morality is dismissed as intolerance. Christian institutions are pressured to surrender doctrine in order to conform to the ideology of the age.”

• “What would once have been whispered is now proclaimed openly: that Britain must become a post-Christian state. It is in this context that I write to you, Your Majesty. For the British Crown does not stand apart from this crisis.”

• “Your Majesty, may I be so bold as to observe that your coronation oath was not a poetic formality. It was a solemn vow made before Almighty God to maintain and preserve the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law.”

• “And so, I write to say this, Your Majesty: The Christian character of this nation is under profound and accelerating assault. If the Crown does not stand visibly and courageously in defence of that inheritance, history will record that the guardians of Britain’s institutions watched in silence as the foundations were removed.”

The full letter is below, but first, I have a crazy, absurd idea as to how Prince Harry, of all people, could be a savior to his homeland when he finally cuts his losses and terminates his regrettable marriage.

Posted by: Buck Throckmorton at 11:00 AM | Comments (315) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Mid-Morning Art Thread

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Odalisque with Tambourine

Henri Matisse

Posted by: CBD at 09:30 AM | Comments (262) | Trackbacks (Suck)

The Morning Report — 4/6/26

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Good morning kids. I hope you all had a blessed Easter weekend. I had a few personal issues to deal with so unfortunately I'm going to have to keep his morning's post very brief. should be back up to speed by tomorrow with my usual panoply of of links and commentary . Thanks for your patience

Have a great day!

And lastly, a quick shout-out and a huge thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at 08:17 AM | Comments (425) | Trackbacks (Suck)

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