#for anyone wondering - this isn’t in support of Trump

[agentbluefox]

Every single state in the US has verbiage allowing abortion (removal of a live, viable fetus) if the life of the mother is in danger or compromised. You can look up the laws - in fact, I encourage you to. You deserve to know your rights, not just what you’re being told. Knowing your rights will save lives. In addition, every doctor follows (or is expected to follow) the Hippocratic oath to do no harm. Knowingly allowing a patient to die is medical malpractice At Best and has nothing to do with abortion laws or Roe v Wade.

Removal of ectopic pregnancies and any type of removal, surgical or chemical, of a dead or miscarried fetus, are not abortions and are not classified as such. The arguments I’ve seen state that these types of pregnancies have heartbeats and so cannot be removed. A quick google search will disprove that.

This varies based on personal opinion - certainly there are those who will oppose abortion under any circumstances - but most politicians (including Trump) have stated there should be exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and even fetal anomaly. Not to mention, the overturning of Roe v Wade pushed the entire issue of abortion back to the states, so that the federal government ISN’T in charge of your abortion access or your medical decisions beyond, again, when the mother’s life is at risk. However, further pushing for singular universal government healthcare will put any and all medical decisions into the hands of the federal government. There’s an old saying that if you don’t want the other side to have just as much power and control as you have right now, you should limit that power and control.

As another poster said, the trans topic is a separate issue and once again, I encourage anyone affected to read the bills that were passed under the Trump administration and under the Biden/Harris administration. I worked in a school (albeit a small one), and was ‘loaned' to a few public schools through both administrations, in what used to be a fairly conservative part of the country. Never under any circumstances are teachers to be alone, unsupervised with a child. Nor should they be. Unfortunately, sexual assault is far too common in the school system. But unless the constitution is going to be overturned and every non-discrimination and child-protective policy thrown out the window, nobody should be legally checking children’s genitals. I’m guessing OP is relying on the “don’t say gay” bill passed in Florida as proof all that will soon be legal. I encourage you to read that bill too if you can. Once again, a whole separate topic.

I don’t say any of this to attack op, though I keep seeing posts and videos like this, all repeating what are essentially talking points. And all this does is further fear, based largely on assumption and emotion. That’s a dangerous combination for anyone, but especially for those who might be affected. Start asking questions, start reading the laws that affect your own body, your own freedoms, and those of the people you care about.

To the men who voted for Donald Trump today:

When your girlfriend gets pregnant, and you’re not ready to become a father, and you’re forced into a position that cripples you emotionally, financially and irreversibly, remember: you did this.

When your sister’s pregnancy turns out to be ectopic, and she can’t get the life-saving medical care she needs and dies a completely pointless, preventable death, remember: you did this.

When your 12-year-old daughter is raped by her soccer coach — after he’s legally allowed to strip off her pants and peep at her genitals, because the existence of trans kids terrifies you — and she steals your shotgun and kills herself in your garage, remember, first and foremost: you did this.

Hundreds of thousands of people are going to die because of the decision you made today.

You did that.

[yourlocalbadgerscales]

To all my mutuals who are queer and live in the US, and to anyone reading this post who is queer and lives in the US, I am so very sorry. My thoughts will be with you for the coming four years, and I might just pray for you, even though I have no God to pray to. Votes wasn’t enough to stop Trump from becoming president, so maybe my prayers will help and save you.

Words cannot express how sorry I am.

To everyone reading this post who has queer friends or family who live in the US, I am sorry for you too. I am sorry for everyone who will be affected by this.

To all you Trump supporters reading this… to everyone who voted for Trump or chose to not vote at all… I am sorry for you as well. Because karma is real. And queer people are some of the nicest and most wonderful people you’ll ever meet. When the time comes for you to be repressed and for your kids to be bullied, killed, whatever… because trust me, nobody goes safe for too long in this cruel world… when the time comes, there will be no one left to support you. Insert that one inspirational quote here.

Karma is real, and if karma isn’t real then give it another name. Call it whatever. The consequences of your actions are real, trust me, they are. This will come back to you. If you voted for Trump, this will come back to you. If you chose not to vote at all (if you were unable to I am so sorry), this will come back to you. You might not believe in the concept of karma, and I might not know the perfect word to describe it, but it will. come. back. to. you.

I am the kind of person to feel sorry for everyone and believe that everyone has at least some good in them. I see the best in people and cling onto it desperately, but sometimes these people prove me wrong. Sometimes a big part of the population of a huge country proves me wrong. I might feel a bit sorry for you when the time comes for you to be a victim of Trump’s sick ideas, I just might. But it is not well deserved.

I was unable to help this time. I am not an adult. I don’t live in the US. I am not a white, rich, straight, cis, allo and perisex man. Nor am I a young, sexy woman you can use. All I could do for the American people who desperately needed Trump not to become president was to write tumblr posts about it… and hope and beg for the best. It didn’t help. And the people who could have chose not to.

My heart goes out for the queer people in the US, and everyone else there who are repressed and soon to be even more repressed. I wish things could have been different. I was ten when I screamed out in joy because this horrible man in a country pretty far away wasn’t elected president. I was even younger when I realised who Trump was and why he was a bad person. A ten year old knew better than some of you people out there do at forty. That ten year old is now older, queer and devastated. She saw the good in a cruel world. I find it difficult to do so.

Karma is real. When I couldn’t do anything to help, what does karma have for me now? What awaits me? All I know is that a living hell awaits people in the US.

And I am truly sorry.

[mugiwara-lucy]

So....this little nugget came out Thursday Evening and in it; Trump says he's solely planning rallies in Democratic cities for the remainder of the month.

Now initially I spent yesterday wondering what the point was because Illinois, California and ESPECIALLY New York would NEVER turn Red. No matter how many MAGAts are in those cities. BUT someone told me something interesting; this could be a way to spark some kind of "war" between his supporters and the Dems. Remember not even a week ago he said how it would be "dangerous" for Harris supporters to identify themselves:

He's NO DOUBT trying to incite violence into Harris supporters. I've been threatened TWICE offline since that happened but are we gonna let him scare us into NOT voting for Harris? FUCK NO! She is ALL that is standing between America turning into a Christian Theoretical Dictatorship.

And my advice for anyone living in these cities that Trump is gonna have rallies in; do NOT engage with these people and don't even protest at his rallies. Just ignore him please. Because that's ALL he wants is attention and if you ignore him and don't feed into him like Harris and Obama does, he lashes out like a petulant child.

With all that said and done, here is the link below to register to vote along with the deadlines varying by state! Also, your own vote isn’t enough! Get as many people as you can to vote for Kamala be it your friends, cousins, parents, grandparents, old friends from high school and college, coworkers, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, stepchildren (if they’re 18 and over) and the list goes on and on but every vote counts! ALSO PLEASE check your registration DAILY because MAGA WILL purge your voter registration!!!

And early voting has started! And if you don’t wanna vote on November 5th, Early Voting is another option! Like I said get as many people as you know and try early voting that way you can avoid MAGA fuckery on November 5th! Down below is a list of dates by state:

And Mail in Ballots are ANOTHER option I highly recommend!! And like I said get as many people as you can to take advantage of this option! BUT if you decide to go with Mail In/Absentee Ballots; PLEASE mail your ballots at the ACTUAL USPS office!! That way MAGAts won't fuck with it.

And if you’re an American who lives overseas; PLEASE use the option of voting overseas since I know every country other than North Korea, Russia and China do NOT want to see Trump’s stinky ass back in the Oval Office! Here’s a link below:

Let's beat Trump AT THE BALLOT BOX and we can be DONE with him FINALLY after NINE YEARS!!

Thank You.

[reasoncourt]

if anyone is wondering why i care about taylor swift discourse it’s genuinely just because i think people lose their point in their hate for her. and they lose perspective.

like she’s actually not the most evil woman in the world. she gives her workers insurance (bare minimum) and good bonuses (she’s mega rich so also bare minimum) and she buys carbon credits (bare minimum but also opens an interesting convo - i.e. how much should we value carbon credits?). she doesn’t use her voice enough imo but she also doesn’t speak out of turn (i.e. she doesn’t pretend to be well-versed and authoritative on topics she has no knowledge in (arguably she should educate herself on certain topics but tbh i’m inclined to view it as a positive that she doesn’t introduce global political issues beyond “trump bad” to her crazy af fan base… like she could do more but i also don’t have much faith in her politics cause she’s so so so out of touch so i prefer the silence)).

an important note here is that i do think she’s absolutely fucked for not condemning the genocide of palestinian people (especially when she’s supposedly close friends with the hadids who are outspoken on the issue and would greatly benefit from her public support (obv she shouldn’t just speak out bc it affects her personal friends but the fact that she isn’t speaking out when she has personal friends is honestly bizarre to me)).

but she's not unique for any of this. she does more than most of her peers and also way less than she should. that's all i see.

and yet ultimately it’s like - people side with kanye when he put a naked wax figure of her in his music video without her consent when she was 25. that situation was obviously misogynistic but people hate her so they largely glossed over it and decided she deserved it for "lying"about a phone call she didn't lie about. people also seem to think it’s funny that football bros are making ai porn of her (arguing she “deserves” it) despite that line of thinking obviously being detrimental to all women and especially those who are so much more vulnerable than her. people got angry at her for donating $250,000 to help with kesha’s legal fees in her case against ‘Dr. Luke’ because they considered it a publicity stunt even though taylor swift wasn’t the one to make that donation public. people called her performative for taking a man to court for sexually assaulting her and only asking for $1. and obviously they would’ve criticised her for asking for more.

the thing that really aggravates me is that there is so so so so so much to criticise her for. but it’s so so so so so obvious that a lot of people just hate her and don’t actually have any legit problem with the things they say they have a problem with. their favs could do the exact same thing and they won’t find any issue with it. cause they just really hate taylor swift and won’t step back a bit in order to just critically think about what their principles are and how those principles apply to this situation with taylor swift and whether they’re actually consistent with those principles and will apply them to someone other than taylor swift.

there are such valid points and important discussions i see being completely missed because the complaint is about Taylor swift and people seem to be incapable of thinking beyond the fact that they just, first and foremost, hate her

and let it be said that this is not a taylor swift defence post. i could not give a single shit about her specifically. i do find her music fun and nostalgic but i also think it deserves more criticism than it gets (but that’s not what this post is about). it’s just that she’s one of the most talked about people in pop culture and i feel like legitimate and productive discourse is rlly hindered by people’s disproportionate focus on her

[crushmeeren]

i am praying for you and for everyone right now who has to live through another trump presidency.

i have lived in canada for most of my life. it is a privilege that i am less impacted than those who are currently in the states right now and who have seen the absolute fuckery going on there. it frustrates me to no end that people around me will claim that because we live in canada, i shouldn’t have to worry about this. they seem to forget that canada is the u.s’ biggest ally. trump already has plans that will impact our economy here.

and even if this detrimental choice didn’t impact where i live, this would still hurt my heart. i am shocked, but i shouldn’t be.

my heart hurts for all the wonderful woman, all the members of the lgbtq community, all the immigrants who have sacrificed so much to be in this country. really, anyone who isn’t a straight, white, christian male. i’m so sorry that this country has forgetting about you. i’m sorry for everyone who is going to suffer. i’m sorry for everyone who is going to die. all because this man wanted to stay out of jail.

we may not have the president, but we have each other. in a country that thrives off of hate, the only thing we have is love.

love you crush, i hope you know you can talk to me about anything 🫧

this gave me hope and peace from the stress and tears of the last day or so. i’ve had a terrible feeling the last week or so about him winning. your support from afar means the world to me 😭😭💌💌

i’m genuinely sorry that our dumb ass decision is going to affect the rest of the world. you’re right though, all we have is each other and I won’t forget everyone else in my country that has been shoved aside and stepped on once again. i pray that after the next four years, things will be different.

what i WONT forget, is that if our worlds get ripped out from underneath us and crushed, i’ll remember each and every one of the people i know who voted him in.

love you mady, thank you for your kind message. 💌💌

[ventela1]

I’ve been genuinely struggling with this as we get further into war and closer to the next presidency.

Biden is responsible for many of the Palestinian deaths and I do not forgive him for that. But I also cannot kid myself into believing that Trump won’t do the same. The same guy who supports Putin over Ukraine is not going to take the correct side here.

So, assuming that they’re both going to lead our country in participating in genocide, what do I do? I guess I have to look at their track record in other things.

(I have seen people say this is prioritizing American lives over Palestinian ones. I disagree. Both of these options are going to harm Palestinians and we need to oppose that as much as possible. In the meantime, I also need to consider what will happen in my own country if my vote has any sway in it.)

When Trump was president my queer friends’ cars were vandalized with pro-Trump bigoted messages. My city had a parade of Trump flags and honking trucks going through it for an entire day, and my neighbor turned and asked “isn’t it wonderful?”. I knew people who had to seriously consider moving states. A man yelled at the woman in line in front of me for wearing a mask. We had a coup.

I saw a post recently say that Biden admin is “quiet fascism” and Trump is “loud fascism” and I agree that there’s fascism in both scenarios. But I preferred it when racists and homophobes didn’t feel so outright comfortable harassing my friends in public. They’re both awful and they’re both okay with committing acts that make me want to puke but as least under Biden the people in my own country are less likely to be victims of a hate crime and yes that’s an extremely low bar but when both your options are bad, the less bad still counts for something.

Then, there’s the Green Party. The “third option”.

Man, I want to vote that third option so badly. But in the past I have voted “blue no matter who” because Green Party just doesn’t win. In the past I have watched third party voters split the vote away from Democrats and that’s part of how we got Trump in 2016. If I could get a better idea of how many people are serious about voting for a third option I would feel a lot more comfortable joining in and less like I’m throwing my vote away.

If anyone has some genuine advice on this I welcome it. I’m not posting this as a “do as I say”, I’m asking for opinions. Because I want to help. And I don’t believe not voting helps. But I have no idea who to vote for at this point except not Trump.

Who is helped in this scenario?

More to the point: how will your one issue improve under Trump?

[anothermessagetoyou]

Buy Laura K beyond parody a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/normalislandnews

In what is unquestionably the greatest outrage in human history, the International Criminal Court has… has… Hold on, I need a moment to stop myself from crying… Okay, you’re gonna wanna sit down for this one…

Those fucking racist twats at the International Criminal Court have only gone and issued arrest warrants for your favourite war criminals. No, not Biden and Starmer, the other two, Netanyahu and Gallant. Yes, the ICC has made it official that Israel is no longer above international law!

I’ll be honest with you, I’d been in denial all of these months. While I was doing pro-genocide propaganda, I’d always feared it might come to this, but I told myself we would surely find a way out out. I mean when is Israel ever held accountable for its war crimes? Well, today has well and truly burst my bubble. I can no longer gaslight you and pretend Israel is the victim without making myself an accomplice. No wonder I can’t stop the tears from pouring.

The International Criminal Court said there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant have overseen attacks on civilians and used starvation as a weapon of war, but they overlooked that those civilians do not count as humans. This makes the ICC judges as anti-Semitic as the people who questioned our lies about pogroms in Amsterdam.

One outrageous aspect of this story is that if Netanyahu and Gallant enter any of the 124 member states of the ICC, they must be arrested. If police refuse to enforce the arrest warrants, they risk facing arrest warrants themselves. It gets even more concerning when you consider Biden and Starmer could be next. Who will drag us into World War III then? Trump? Fuck that, I want a moderate form of Armageddon!

Netanyahu has graciously shown his respect for international law by rejecting the arrest warrants “with disgust”. He is understandably livid that his months of blackmailing ICC judges and stitching up Karim Khan KC have not had the desired effect.

Fortunately, Mossad has located a tunnel network under the Hague and I’m told a tactical nuclear strike is not off the table. Other courses of action include banning the whole internet and introducing the death penalty for anyone who waves a Palestinian flag.

Netanyahu’s office explained the judges are “anti-Semitic” along with the overwhelming majority of the global population who are disgusted with Israel. It said the arrest warrants are invalid because they do not include the words “release the hostages” and draw a “despicable parallel between Israel and Hamas”. This is obviously an unfair comparison because Israel’s body count is much higher.

Israel genuinely thought it had a get-out clause by saying it rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction, but disgustingly, the ICC said Israel can’t just opt-out of international law. This is concerning because if police ever caught up to me for my serial killing, I was gonna argue the law doesn’t apply to me.

The ICC judges were so afraid of Israel that they postponed the arrest warrants for months in the hope Israel would stop doing genocide. Clearly, this was an unrealistic expectation. When the genocide didn’t go away, the judges did their jobs without considering this makes rich kids at western universities unsafe. I’m pretty sure this violates IHRA guidelines or something.

Anyways, I’d like to remind you that expressing support for the International Criminal Court will get you expelled from university or fired from your job.

Our approach at the BBC is to pretend there is ambiguity about whether the ICC is the world’s highest court. We’re going to say it would break our impartiality guidelines to accurately reflect what is taking place, but we will be subtle enough to hopefully not get arrested.

You see the hoops we’re having to jump through to comply with “international law”? Free speech is in serious trouble when journalists could face arrest for doing pro-genocide propaganda, isn’t it? x

[bllsbailey]

FEMA Officials Ordered Relief Workers to Skip Hurricane-Ravaged Houses With Trump Signs

When Hurricane Milton crashed into Florida, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency ordered relief workers to skip homes with signs supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 election. This isn’t hyperbole or an allegation; it was confirmed by FEMA. The Daily Wire had the scoop [emphasis mine]:

A federal disaster relief official ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Florida, according to internal correspondence obtained by The Daily Wire and confirmed by multiple federal employees.  A FEMA supervisor told workers in a message to “avoid homes advertising Trump” as they canvassed Lake Placid, Florida to identify residents who could qualify for federal aid, internal messages viewed by The Daily Wire reveal. The supervisor, Marn’i Washington, relayed this message both verbally and in a group chat used by the relief team, multiple government employees told The Daily Wire.  The government employees told The Daily Wire that at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags were skipped from the end of October and into November due to the guidance, meaning they were not given the opportunity to qualify for FEMA assistance. Images shared with The Daily Wire show that houses were skipped over by the workers, who wrote in the government system messages such as: “Trump sign no entry per leadership.”  […]  The FEMA agents ordered not to help houses with Trump signs were operating in Highlands County, a deep-red area located in south central Florida that backed Trump by 70% on Tuesday. It was hit with tornadoes, torrential wind and rain, and flooding when Milton hit in October.  […]  Chad Hershey, Washington’s FEMA supervisor, told The Daily Wire that the agency is looking into the situation.  “We are aware of it and we are taking proper action in this situation currently,” Hershey said.   Pressed to confirm the messages, Hershey said: “We are aware of it and we are taking action at this moment regarding the situation that you’re talking about.” 

It’s the twofer here. The Biden administration showed it was callous and uncaring during the Afghanistan debacle. They still refuse to acknowledge or contact the families of the 13 American service members who were killed in a terrorist attack at Abbey Gate. That was abroad. At home, Biden’s FEMA told its workers to skip homes ravaged by a natural disaster because they supported his opponent. And yet, they say we’re garbage for supporting Trump. This news isn’t shocking if you’ve watched any anti-Trump meltdowns since Election Day. 

These people can and will use institutional power to punish their political enemies, which is why the ‘Trump will weaponize the DOJ’ talking points aren’t working; you people already did that. Is anyone wondering why Special Counsel Jack Smith is in the process of shutting down his sham legal actions against Trump?

What’s astounding is FEMA confirmed it outright. A lot of people need to be fired in January.

Trending on Townhall Videos

[kk-mycitysocial]

2024 Election: A High-Stakes Game For Community Development And Housing Tax Credits

Hey everyone, The upcoming 2024 election is more than just another political event—it's a pivotal moment that could reshape our financial landscape, especially for community development housing tax credits. So, let's dive into what this means for all of us. As you know, the House-passed tax bill is currently stalled in the Senate. But what's really causing anxiety is the impending expiration of a staggering $4.7 trillion in tax cuts by the end of 2025. This potential fiscal upheaval has everyone wondering how Congress and the president will handle this challenge, especially with the presidential election just five months away.

Election Forecast: A Tight Race

Right now, it’s anyone's game. Pollsters are calling the race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump a toss-up. The stakes are equally high for Congress, with the Senate showing a slight Republican tilt. But let's be real, five months is a lifetime in politics, and anything can happen.

The Fiscal Cliff Ahead

With $4.7 trillion in tax provisions set to expire in 2025, next year promises to be a legislative rollercoaster. If Congress doesn’t act, millions of Americans could face significant tax hikes. Among the expiring provisions are lower personal income tax rates, higher standard deductions, and boosted child tax credits. While some business tax benefits from the 2017 overhaul will remain, others, like business investment expensing and the 20% deduction for certain business income, are on the chopping block.

Possible Election Scenarios And What They Mean

Republican Party: If Trump and the Republicans clinch victory, community development incentives could find themselves on the defensive. The low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), new markets tax credit (NMTC), historic tax credit (HTC), and renewable energy tax credits might face cuts, while opportunity zones (OZ) could see an extension. Democratic Party: A blue wave could herald a golden era for community development affordable housing tax credits. Expect extensions, expansions, and new credits like the neighborhood homes tax credit (NHTC) and workforce housing tax credit (WHTC). Republican President, Split Congress: This scenario calls for intense negotiation. Bipartisan cooperation will be crucial, and the House Ways and Means Committee will play a pivotal role, regardless of party control. Democratic President, Split Congress: This is similar to the previous setup but with Biden at the helm. Here, bipartisan deals will be essential, with moderates holding significant influence.

What's at Stake For Specific Tax Incentives?

Depending on the election results, we could see different fates for critical tax incentives. The LIHTC and NMTC might get a makeover or an extension, driven by the political winds. Enhancements to these credits could drive economic growth in underserved areas, making this election incredibly significant.

Wrapping Up

The 2024 election isn't just about who gets the keys to the White House—it's about the future of community development housing tax credits and, by extension, the future of countless American communities. Whether you’re a developer, a local government official, or a nonprofit leader, staying informed and engaged is crucial. The next five months will set the stage for years to come, so let's be ready to advocate for policies that support economic equity and community resilience. Stay tuned, contact us, and stay informed. Let’s navigate this political rollercoaster together! Catch you next time, Midtown-Builders Read the full article

[bulletsandbracelets]

I’m sorry, but I need to address this.

People are saying this because it is true. Biden is reprehensible. He deserves all of the criticism he is getting and more. He deserves not to know peace until he calls for a ceasefire. Your representatives and senators deserve the same. Be outspoken, continue to show your disapproval, and continue to not allow the media narrative to claim that most “reasonable” people are behind this. Public opinion is one of the best collective powers we have on a national level.

Don’t hear “Trump is worse” and immediately think it is a defense of Biden. It isn’t. It is a reality. Trump not only supports Israel, he also supports reinstating a Muslim ban in the US, arresting and (when possible) deporting pro-Palestinian activists, and eliminating our ability to even speak out. By labeling anyone who does, even peacefully, as a terrorist.

But wait, it gets worse.

Trump has said he would reject refugees from Gaza from entering the United States, and he has called for ideological screenings for those entering the country.

That seems worse.

Gen. Keith Kellogg, who served on the National Security Council during the Trump administration, said in an interview that he would have advised for a “much harder approach” than the Biden administration is taking in terms of aid into Gaza.

That's objectively worse. I know it's just a guy who worked for him but... it's a guy who worked for him. Who would likely work for him again.

You don't have another option y'all. It's blue or red. You get Biden or you get this. Unless you can GUARANTEE 270/538 electoral votes, red will win. If no one gets 270, we get a contingent election. Which basically means the House chooses the president with each state getting one vote. I wonder who has more states? (I don't - it's red)

I know people want to criticize Biden - please do so. Just please do not equate him to Trump. Something can always be worse than terrible.

“It’s necessary for Palestinians to die because otherwise Israelis would never be able to exterminate Hamas!” “Iraqi citizens had to die because the US had to retaliate for the Iran-backed drone attack!” When will you learn that Arab people are not just collateral fucking damage. When will you learn they are not a means to an end. When will you stop dehumanizing Arab people in your endless attempts to justify the mindless slaughter that has been taking place for years, but which has intensified beyond belief the last four months. Why do you need to be told to treat Arab people like they’re human. Why do you need to be told this. Why do you need to be told.

[kirkwallhellmouth]

Just wondered to myself…

Do people who are loud about “Democrats have done nothing!” live in places where they could, off the top of their heads, name an elected Democrat?

I live in the northern half of Alabama, and I would have to Google it to find out the names of my state’s current, in-office Democrats. Like, I’m sure some parts of Alabama have some, but I can’t readily name them (I also need to remind myself that my memory has been A Bit Shit since 2016 when it comes to a lot of things, but still).

My county’s ballot in November? The only Democrats on that ballot are Biden and Harris. Everything else is Republicans (many of which are likely to be unopposed incumbents because of how honestly hard it is to run anyone against an Intrenched Career Republican around here), and I fully expect the political ads to be full of “I support Trump more than my opponent, my opponent isn’t a Real Conservative” along with racism and transphobia.

Meanwhile, I look at places that have Democrats in office and…well, I’m honestly jealous and happy for them. It’s not perfect, but it’s a hell of a lot better than wondering what fresh hell a Republican majority is going to dream up next.

[taylovelinus]

y’all want a pointless rant? I’ll give you a rant!

I know bc of my pfp that everyone associates me with Lisa Rinna (amen!), and someone on here the other day mentioned that they miss her on RHOBH and I have to say: THANK YOU I COMPLETELY AGREE! Soooo many fans wanted her off the show for her “mean girl behavior” — even though she wasn’t any worse than the rest, and is if that isn’t the entire point of the show — and then they all said they wanted Brandi fucking Glanville back??? bffr. Rinna absolutely helped make that show what it is, just as much as LVP did, and I’ll stand by that, not to mention she’s FAR more entertaining than any of the shows other “villains”.

Also, everyone is so far up Sutton Stracke’s ass that they don’t care how callous and rude she is. I get that most of the fandom wanted RHOBH to become the Sutton-and-Garcelle-hand-holding-kumbaya show, and now that that’s basically what it is, everyone complains that it’s boring. Huh! I wonder why!

and watching the fandom (full of the most insufferable shitlibs in the world) defend Kathy Hilton, canonize Kim Richards, and demonize Kyle, as if Kathy isn’t like a genuine Trump supporter. Like if you’ve ever spent any time on r/realhousewives, being a Trump supporter is genuinely the worst thing you can be (and I don’t necessarily disagree), but suddenly it’s totally okay when it’s Kathy Hilton. get real. Kim was guilty of being an asshole for no fucking reason, and she doesn’t get a pass just because she was an addict. God knows none of y’all showed Dorinda that same level of grace and empathy! Kyle is annoying and an instigator but she’s not worse than anyone else.

Erika sucks, I could take her or leave her. I love Krystal as a person but on the show she’s kind of a snoozefest, Garcelle too. I love Dorit, she’s ridiculous, keep her on. Sutton needs to go, like, yesterday. Like three seasons ago. I know there’s a new housewife on there now, but the season was so painfully boring I didn’t even get to her introduction.

This is why the only franchise worth watching now is Salt Lake City.

[gduncan969]

Who's Winning The War?

Psalm 92: 5 - 7 O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. A senseless man does not know, Nor does a fool understand this. When the wicked spring up like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever.

It’s a bit overwhelming right now, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe we are being forced to deal with questions that are so self-evident to any reasonable-thinking person we wonder why on earth anyone would want to ask them in the first place, let alone discuss them. What is a woman? How many genders are there? What pronouns should we use? Is marriage just between a man and a woman? Can I stop my teenage (and younger) children mutilating their bodies through so-called gender-altering surgery? Can I express my sincerely-held opinions without fear of losing my job, my status and my freedom? Who’s in charge of all this anyway and who voted them in?

Turning on the news these days is a sure-fire recipe for clinical depression. According to the media, we are so far along the pathway to destruction we have passed the point of no-return and it is too late to turn back. If the environment doesn’t kill us the next plague will, if the plague doesn’t kill us the weapons of mass destruction will and if the printing presses don’t stop printing money the economy will and we are all going to die through one or more of starvation, fear, war, global warming and a host of other equally disastrous circumstances. It’s all just a matter of when, not if. No wonder so many are terrified and depressed! There is a cure for this depression but perhaps you have already found your own—you don’t listen to the news anymore! If that is your stand you are holding on to that good old standby, “no news is good news” otherwise known as the “head-in-the-sand” approach. It might relieve your symptoms for a while but it won’t cure the problem of how to survive the next decade (if there is one!)? When it comes to being aware of what’s going on, ignorance is not bliss and the proof for that is found in the many examples in the bible of the “sudden destruction” that fell on people who chose to live in their ignorance. If you want to check me out, start with Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis and move on through Noah and the children of Israel who made it out of Egypt into the desert but never made it out of the desert into the promised land. Then, follow on through the rest of the books ‘til you reach the last one, Revelation. There’s a hefty price to pay for ignorance.

Heed the Warnings

Paul’s warning to all believers in these last days is “when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction (will) come upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) and he also tells us in Ephesians 5:15 “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise..because the days are evil”. That word “circumspectly” means “looking around to discern what is really going on”. Now, no one wants to spend time listening to news media who are doing all they can to hide the blatant corruption, the lying, the hidden agendas and the subterfuge that is going on all around us while they hype up every fear that is gripping us but the corruption has now reached a level that simply cannot be ignored. The fear and frustration produced by this is slowly being replaced with anger, which is a good thing for believers because it drives us to the only solution we have available which is PRAYER, prayer and more prayer, but anger can be a very bad thing among unbelievers who may well go the way of violent protest, mayhem and destruction. What do you think the outcome will be if Donald Trump is indeed found guilty of the multitude of charges against him and is sentenced to jail just as the battle for the next president begins? Will his multiple millions of supporters simply walk away or do something else? How long will Russia and China stand by and watch the western nations destroy themselves with their environmentalism, woke-ism and every other “-ism”—designed only to bring more and more fear into our lives—before they decide we are now too diminished to defend ourselves? Will President Biden and his extended family walk off with their millions of dollars gained through influence-peddling and bribery and will that happen before or after the next world war that is lying at the door? These are very scary questions but they are very much in line with the bible’s description of how it will be before Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom here on earth? What must we do?

It’s OK to Be Angry

It’s OK for Christians to get angry—”Be angry and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26) the bible tells us. Of itself, anger, like love and hate is neither good nor bad. It all depends on the object of the anger or the love or the hate that determines their benefit. It is good to love righteousness but bad to love sin. It is good to be angry at injustice but bad to be angry with the policeman who ticketed you for speeding. It is good to hate sin but love sinners. Nevertheless, as believers we must guard against anger’s powerful tendency to lead us into sin by deciding to take matters into our own hands and not seek God’s plan and purpose in these situations. The only thing that can halt the moral collapse we are all witnessing in our neighborhoods, our country and the world beyond is a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit to REVIVE the sleeping Church whose mandate from Heaven has always been to spread the Gospel in all its fulness by preaching, teaching, evangelizing, healing and delivering and that’s where our struggle really lies. It’s OK to get angry at these things but our anger must goad us into action but watch out, whatever action we take must be prompted by the Holy Spirit, not our self-righteousness. 1 Corinthians 4:20 says, “For the kingdom of God is not in talk but in power”. We can talk about God all we like but unless we can demonstrate His power, we really have nothing to say! Even the briefest review of revival history shows revivals all begin with a small group of believers, who could no longer stand the decay they saw in themselves and their fellow believers, fell on their knees and started to cry out to God to come and rescue them and their neighborhoods. God’s answer to their prayers was to send the Holy Spirit to light a fire among them like He did on the day of Pentecost and that’s what this end-times generation desperately needs. They were long past the days of simply complaining about how bad things were and talking among themselves about how worse it might get. They had written to their MP’s, voted for the best candidates, attended public meetings, protested about the latest government actions and inactions but none of it was turning the ship of state around in a new, godly direction Their only qualification was an awareness of the dreadful back-slidden state of the local church and its impotence (lack of power) against the deluge of sin consuming the unbelievers around them. We can wonder all we like about how otherwise reasonable people can be so blind to the blatant corruption around them and we can wring our hands in fear of the outcome but all of it is designed to do one thing: bring us to our knees!

God’s Plan

Psalm 92:4 tells us how God plans to let us share in the victory of this war of the ages, “For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.” Victory for us lies in us doing the works of His hands, not our own works and He reveals what may not have occurred to our foolish, senseless minds that the only reason the wicked schemers of this world are flourishing so successfully these days is so “that they may be destroyed forever”. The last book of the bible tells us who wins this war. This theme of why the wicked prosper further unfolds in the Psalms that follow:

Psalm 94: 3 - 15

3 Lord, how long will the wicked, How long will the wicked triumph? 4 They utter speech, and speak insolent things; All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. 5 They break in pieces Your people, O Lord, And afflict Your heritage. 6 They slay the widow and the stranger, And murder the fatherless. 7 Yet they say, “The Lord does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob understand.” 8 Understand, you senseless among the people; And you fools, when will you be wise? 9 He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? 10 He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? 11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile. 12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law, 13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. 15 But judgment will return to righteousness, And all the upright in heart will follow it.

What will win in our own minds? Will it be fear or faith? For the Christian, this world may becoming a scary place for all that we hold dear—our families and friends, our jobs and careers, our hopes for the future but that remains true only until we place our trust in the One who “gives us rest from the days of adversity” (verse 13) and from whom we receive instruction. In verse 16, God asks us two questions:

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

And the Psalmist gives his answers (Verses 17 - 19):

Unless the Lord had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence. If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.

For all of us who may be suffering from a “multitude of anxieties” about the changes taking place all around us and are struggling with a sense of hopelessness about the inevitable disasters that lie ahead of us, remember that “God is still on His throne and He will remember His own” as the old song says. Someone once said, “When you are depressed and discouraged about life’s circumstances, look DOWN because you are seated in heavenly places with Him from where you can see the grand picture of God’s plan for the world”. That’s good advice for all of us and will put a smile, not a frown on our faces as we take on the challenge of reaching others with the good news of the Gospel.

[alledherlu-q-pereon]

Poll of Springfield

So, late at night, a few nights ago, I was wondering how the bellwether town of Springfield (the #Simpsons Springfield) would vote in the upcoming Presidential election. Political junkie that I am, I had to get up from bed and go over to my computer and figure it out.

Though I did my best to ask every member of the Springfield Community how they were going to vote, some refused to answer and no doubt I missed a few too. If you have any suggestions or you think anyone would vote differently, or if you can think of more fun quotes from residents of Springfield about this election, please post below!

Note: I even asked residents not of voting age, or who lost the right to vote due to previous felony convictions, and included their answers below, but not in the final poll tally.

Topline results:

Hillary Clinton 44%

Donald J. Trump 35%

Gary Johnson 6%

Other 4%

Undecided/Refused 11%

Homer J. Simpson

Though he wanted to vote for Trump, Marge said she’d never sleep with him again if he did, so that’s how he became a Democrat. Of course, it’s a pretty good bet he’ll punch the wrong button at the polling station as is his custom, so if he goes in wanting Hillary, we’ll count his vote for TRUMP!

Marge Simpson

HILLARY

Bart Simpson

“Deez-nuts” Note: not of voting age and won’t be counted in poll results.

Lisa Simpson

“Well, at first I wanted Bernie Sanders. He was so dreamy! Then, when he lost I thought I’d vote for the first female President, Dr. Jill Stein! She would ride in on a magical pony and free all the animals from circuses and make everyone vegan. Then I realized I’m supporting Hillary Clinton.” Note: not of voting age and won’t be counted in poll results.

"Grandpa" Abe Simpson

“I’m voting for Cal Coolidge! I like him because he’s quiet.”

Patty Bouvier

HILLARY “Of course I’m voting for the woman!”

Selma Bouvier

HILLARY.

Montgomery Burns

TRUMP “Well, he wasn’t my first choice, but at least the young orange-haired young man isn’t a communist!”

Waylon Smithers

TRUMP Gays for Trump!

Moe Szyslak

TRUMP “I know how this works, see. I get in for Trump now and he lets me name a drink after him and charge twice as much. That’s why I like him, an honest politician.”

Barney Gumble

Passed out, no answer

Kent Brockman

HILLARY But I need to be discreet about it, being a card-carrying member of the media elite. That and I don’t want Trump’s goons to beat me up.

Mayor Quimby

HILLARY I’ve been with Hillary from da start! Bill and I used to hang out…”

Lenny Leonard and Carl Carlson

Will cancel one another’s votes, Lenny is leaning Trump and Carl is leaning Hillary

Krusty The Clown

Member of the Springfield Republican Central Committee, JOHNSON, “Oy, this is the choice I have? I’d never vote for her, and what’s he doing with the anti-Semitic retweets and hey, I’m supposed to be the clown here.”

Doctor Hibbert

Member of the Springfield Republican Central Committee, TRUMP “Well I liked Dr. Ben Carson, but I suppose Trump will do.”

Ned Flanders

Undecided “Oh lord, how did we wind up with such diddly awful candidates? I think I’ll just write in Ronald Reagan.”

Kang and Kodos

“TRUMP! We want Trump to be subjugator of the masses!” Note: not of voting age and won’t be counted in poll results,

Comic Book Guy

JOHNSTON “Well I liked Bernie of course, but now I like Gary Johnson. Polar opposite? Methinks not.”

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

HILLARY “Oh my goodness, even though I am Hindu not Muslim I do not think that Mr. Trump knows the difference. He is a very bad man.”

Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon

HILLARY

Seymour Skinner

HILLARY “mother says it’s Hillary. And anyway I think Trump wants to get rid of the Department of Education.

Chief Wiggum

TRUMP “I like a man who stands for law and order.”

Jasper “Bill Clinton”

Captain McAllister

HILLARY “Har, Hillary I guess, she looks mighty good to me after three months at sea...”

Otto Mann

JOHNSON “I was feeling the Bern, but I’m a one-issue man, and I like the guy who wants to legalize weed and give it out to everyone! Oh wait, he doesn’t want the government to give it out? Maybe I’ll go Hillary then!”

Bumblebee Man

HILLARY “Si yo soy ciudano Americano. HILLARY HILLARY HILLARY. Por favor dios HILLARY!”

Snake (Jailbird)

“Oh, election time?” (cannot vote due to priory felony conviction)

Old Gil Gunderson

TRUMP “I just signed up for his Trump University, I know this is my ticket! This is the right program for me to finally launch my success! Finally Ol' Gil is gonna make it!”

Sideshow Bob (Robert Terwilliger)

TRUMP “I appreciate the complex intricacies of his simple mind” (not counted, convicted felon)

Fat Tony’s cousin who looks just like him

TRUMP “My other cousin did business with him in Atlantic City.”

Ranier Wolfcastle

Member of Springfield Republican Central Committee, TRUMP “Of course I vote for Trump! He veel be strong leader and make us great again!”

Superintendent Chalmers

HILLARY

Agnes Skinner

HILLARY “It’s about time they let Hillary tell Bill what to do”

Bloodsucking Vampire

(From Springfield Republican Party Headquarters) TRUMP “He vas my choice all along!” (not counted, vampires can't vote)

Groundskeeper Willie

Unknown “Ain’t nobody gonna get outta me who Willie’s voting fer!”

Cletus

TRUMP “Gosh he’s gonna make ‘Merica great agin! And he’s one of them millionairres I seen on TV”

Brandine (Cletus’s wife)

TRUMP “I seen him on TV!”

Hans Moleman

Undecided “I think a giant meteor. Whoever I vote for loses anyway.”

Sideshow Mel

Gave a whistle when asked

Professor Frink

HILLARY “She’s a woman of bzonga SCIENCE and of course with the climate change and the stem cell research, HILLARY!”

Squeaky Voice Teen

HILLARY “Well it’s my first election, so of course I liked Bernie but now I guess I like Hillary?”

Judge Constance Harm

TRUMP

Judge Snyder

HILLARY

Lou and Eddie

Will cancel one another’s votes, Lou is leaning Trump and Eddie is leaning Hillary

Reverend Lovejoy

Undecided “Oh lord, please give us other choices.”

Helen Lovejoy

HILLARY “I just can’t vote for that potty-mouthed Trump.”

Kirk and Luann Van Houten.

HILLARY

Blue Haired Lawyer

Member of Springfield Republican Central Committee, TRUMP

Rich Texan

TRUMP “I liked them Bush boys better, but Trump’s a hellavalot better than Hillary!”

Bernice Hibbert

HILLARY

Disco Stu

HILLARY “I was with Bernie all the way man, but I guess I’m with her now.”

Luigi

Trump no lika the immigrants! Luigi izza immigrant too! He no wanta pizza on every corner?

Duffman

TRUMP “TRUMP will make America Great, oh yeah!!!”

Doris Freedman (lunchlady)

HILLARY “I like her school lunch program.”

Frankie The Squealer

TRUMP “The bosses cousin did bidness wid him. It was that casino project down in Atlantic City, the one that guy disappeared at, the one on the Boardwalk, ya know? but you didn’t hear it from me.”

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/thoughts-on-human-silos/

Thoughts on Human Silos

Are writers soon to be replaced by Artificial intelligence (AI)?  A reader sent me an article that raised the question. Its genesis came from a story about a man who wrote a children’s book using AI. Once released, reports of the publication raised hoopla in the writing community. I wasn’t surprised. I asked the same question in a 2019 blog.  Having contemplated for years, I’ve decided not to worry about AI. Language is too fluid for algorithms to keep up with its changes. Last year, alone, the English-speaking world added 379 new words. Machine learning expands as the human mind explores. It can, for example, create endless iterations of Star Trek, but it can never race ahead, taking us to worlds where no thought has gone before. Writer Meghan O’Gleblyn gives us an example of why this is the case. (“Dear Cloud Support,” Wired, February 2023, pg 19.)  Apps can instruct us on how to meditate, but its practice is beyond their ken. Apps lack consciousness and that makes them incapable of enlightenment. Similarly, we may flock to social media for human connection, but it is a pale shadow of the real stuff.  A tangle of algorithms that speak in emojis can never emulate the warmth of a hug.  Frankly, I wonder if having 10,000 friends on Facebook matters if no one on the list knows I hate asparagus. Social media sites remind me of post-its on Craigslist. They advertise personal needs. Silos of the self are how I think of them. The goal may be to commune with others but the result can become an internal monologue that serves to increase the appetite for the human touch–the way sugar excites our hunger for salt. Silos can be dangerous, for when we seat ourselves at the center of the universe, we invite mental illness.   Narcissism is one risk. Self-love skews reality and makes the afflicted more rather than less vulnerable. Many believe Donald Trump, our 45th President, exhibited the hallmarks of narcissism: feeling superior to others; requiring constant praise, and engaging in destructive behavior when deprived of it. Some shrug and call him crazy. But narcissism isn’t a mental illness. It’s part of the Dark Triad which includes Psychopathy and Machiavellianism, traits that are malevolent but not pathological. The  Dunning-Kruger effect holds that ignorance and a lack of education are the sources of these maledictions. Yet, new research suggests otherwise.  Overconfidence is the culprit. People who are convinced they are superior seek the company of others similarly affected. They form strong bonds that make them impervious to challenges from outsiders. Even so, that inner faith makes narcissists vulnerable to anyone who chooses to exploit their delusion. In sum, confidence makes them lazy.  It’s easier to embrace familiar ideas than to keep an open mind.    I do not fear artificial intelligence.  I fear human thoughts that go awry. Self-love drives a person inward though the intent is to find connection. The resulting irony is both perilous and tragic.   As a species, we are nothing without each other.  No app can teach us that.  We must learn the truth for ourselves.  

[glasnovv]

whenever someone on here is like speculating about a player being a trump supporter or whatever i like kinda don’t care because i have to deal with my actual family members liking trump but with these players, as long as they’re not like overtly posting about how much they love him, it’s honestly not that big of a deal