#ronald reagan cut up while talking

[paladanses]

Big Boss cut up while talking

[mariacallous]

Americans love to focus on presidential campaigns. The House of Representatives and Senate receive some attention every now and then, but our political love affair tends to center on the race for the White House. When congressional elections gain some attention, it usually happens during the midterms when political junkies don’t have much else to talk about.

But this is a mistake. Congress matters. The outcome of congressional elections during a presidential campaign is crucial to shaping the first two years of an administration, the period when the opportunity for legislating is greatest. In the coming months, the fate of the Democratic Party agenda—regardless of who wins the presidency—will depend as much on how power is distributed on Capitol Hill as who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Even after a mandate election, just one chamber of Congress can be sufficient to check a new president’s agenda. This was the story in 1980. The election was devastating to Democrats. Ronald Reagan, who was a key figure in the modern conservative movement that took hold in the 1970s, promised to move the national agenda sharply to the right after the one-term presidency of Jimmy Carter. And then, for the first time since 1954, Republicans won control of the Senate with a majority of 53 seats.

The saving grace for Democrats that year was the House, where they remained on top. While Reagan defeated Carter in an Electoral College landslide, 489-49, Democrats exited Election Day with a 243-seat majority. Though the number of conservative Democrats had increased, the caucus as a whole was quite liberal compared with the Republicans. Under the speakership of Tip O’Neill, the lower chamber became the last bastion of liberalism. Using this as a base of power, Democrats were able to veto many of Reagan’s boldest initiatives while continuing to push forward their own agenda, even as the chances for passage were minimal.

The impact of a Democratic House was evident in both domestic and foreign policy. Republicans were forced to back away from many of their most ambitious plans to slash the social safety net. When the administration moved to reduce Social Security benefits for early retirees in 1981, O’Neill mobilized a coalition as he warned that the president aimed to dismantle this popular program. Republicans were shaken. Rep. Carroll Campbell was frustrated with the electoral impact: “I’ve got thousands of 60-year-old textile workers who think it’s the end of the world. What the hell am I supposed to tell them?” Democrats also approved a budget that raised taxes, a move that was anathema to Reagan’s acolytes. In 1983, the administration worked with congressional Democrats to shore up the financial strength of the program. The Democratic majority would be bolstered in the 1982 midterms, which took place in the middle of what O’Neill called the “Reagan recession.” The political scientist Paul Pierson showed in Dismantling the Welfare State? the limited progress Reagan made on cutting most major programs.

Similar effects were evident with foreign policy. Reagan’s hawkish posture toward the Soviet Union had been defining as he rose in national prominence during the 1970s. He railed against Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Carter for practicing the policy of détente, easing relations with the Communists, while ramping up rhetoric against the Soviet Union, calling it an “evil” empire in moralistic terms that presidents had traditionally avoided. He also curtailed negotiations over arms agreements and increased support for anti-communist operations in Central America.

House Democrats responded in force. In 1982, 1983, and 1984, they passed the Boland Amendments, which curtailed Reagan’s ability to provide support to the government of El Salvador and the anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua, the Contras. The global nuclear freeze movement also found strong support on the Hill as a number of members supported resolutions for limitations on nuclear arms production. “I can’t remember any issue, including Watergate, that has moved so many people so quickly,” Democratic operative Robert Squier noted in 1982.

None of this meant that Reagan could not achieve big changes. After all, the president pushed through a massive supply side tax cut in 1981 that made deep inroads into the finances of the federal government and began a path of ongoing cuts that privileged wealthier Americans and business. Scared to oppose him, many House Democrats voted for the cuts of their own accord. Reagan increased the defense budget, and his administration used illegal methods to direct support to Central America. And House Democrats couldn’t stop the enormous impact that Reagan had on pushing national rhetoric toward the right, either. Nonetheless, House Democrats played a pivotal role in restraining conservatism while protecting the liberal legacy of the New Deal and Great Society.

The reverse has also been true. Some congressional elections are extraordinarily dramatic. For all the attention paid to the legendary political prowess of Lyndon B. Johnson, the fact that the 1964 election produced massive Democratic majorities in the House (295) and Senate (68), while shifting the balance of influence within the party away from conservative southerners toward the liberal North, was instrumental to the passage of the Great Society legislation: Medicare and Medicaid, the Voting Rights Act, higher and secondary education funding, immigration reform, and more all became possible because of the size and structure of the Congress that Johnson was able to work with. “The once powerful coalition of Republicans and conservative Democrats appeared to have been rendered impotent, or nearly so,” the New York Times noted in 1964. Once the 1966 midterms revived the conservative coalition of southern Democrats and midwestern Republicans that had ruled Capitol Hill since 1938, Johnson’s window for legislating closed.

Most recently, there was the 2020 election. One of the most important outcomes was Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock winning in Georgia, giving Democrats two Senate seats and effective control of the upper chamber. As soon as they won, the Biden administration’s fortunes changed dramatically. With unified control of Congress, Biden’s path to legislative success opened. Although the administration would have to struggle to placate the demands of Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, Biden kept his party united enough to move a series of major bills on COVID-19 relief, infrastructure, and climate change. In so doing, he racked up an impressive record.

When Biden was still at the top of the Democratic ticket, one of the greatest sources of concern for Democratic legislators such as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff was that he was making a Republican Congress almost inevitable. Democrats in many parts of the country watched as their polling numbers plummeted.

With the energy and momentum that Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have brought to the campaign, the odds for Democrats to win control of the House and possibly the Senate have vastly improved.

As much as Democratic voters will be focused on raising money, canvassing, and promoting their presidential candidate, they would do well to devote as much energy to key congressional races—whether the seats in Long Island that Republicans picked up in 2022 or Senate races in states such as Montana and Ohio.

Johnson always understood how Congress controlled his fate. In 1968, when Treasury Secretary Henry Fowler told the president, “You are the master of the Senate and always have been,” Johnson responded: “I’m not master of a damn thing.” As a veteran of Washington, Johnson always understood that his legacy would ebb and flow based on the composition of the Congress.

This time around, Democratic control of one or two chambers will be pivotal, regardless of who wins. If Donald Trump is reelected as president, congressional power will be essential to impede his inevitable efforts to aggressively deploy presidential power and dismantle the administrative state.

If Harris wins, on the other hand, congressional power will be essential to ensuring that she can use the limited window she would have to expand on and strengthen the legislative legacy of Biden—and to start tackling new issues aimed at exciting an emerging generation of voters.

[ddrqoyote]

173 Influential SCPs

I went to SCPper, found the most upvoted articles by users who've made at least one SCP, and sorted by time. These aren't necessarily the 173 best articles on the site, but I think they're likely to be the most influential. Longtime fans have probably read most or all of these but maybe this could be a starting point for newcomers.

I think sorting by time is important because the Foundation's been around almost 17 years. Writers come and go, trends come and go, new writers are influenced by what came before, and later articles are often longer and more complex than earlier ones. Just sorting by most upvoted bounces you around time; on the main wiki you read mostly series 1 articles then get dunked into SCP-5000. I hope this is a more natural progression, and that by the end people have more context for what's going on.

Using upvotes from writers only is important because the more writers like an article, the more likely later SCPs are to be influenced by it, so those articles are more likely to be important for understanding the wiki as a whole.

I might do an alternate version of this list that replaces the extremely long articles with shorter SCPs.

If you have trouble understanding one of the articles (some of the later ones get LONG), look it up on r/SCPDeclassified. If you would prefer audio narration/explanations, The Exploring Series and TheVolgun are both excellent. And of course, make sure to look in the sidebar on the wiki for guides, lists and explanations.

SERIES IV AND LATER ARE IN REBLOGS DUE TO TUMBLR'S POST LIMIT

Series I Era

SCP-173 - The Sculpture - The Original

SCP-093 - Red Sea Object

SCP-294 - The Coffee Machine

SCP-682 - Hard-to-Destroy Reptile

SCP-055 - [unknown]

SCP-914 - The Clockworks

SCP-085 - Hand-drawn "Cassy"

SCP-184 - The Architect

SCP-231 - Special Personnel Requirements

SCP-990 - Dream Man

SCP-999 - The Tickle Monster

SCP-835 - Expunged Data Released

SCP-701 - The Hanged King's Tragedy

SCP-586 - Inscribable Object

SCP-610 - The Flesh that Hates

Log of Anomalous Items Vol I

SCP-087 - The Stairwell

SCP-049 - Plague Doctor

Revised Entry

Document Recovered from the Marianas Trench

SCP-426 - I am a Toaster

SCP-096 - The "Shy Guy"

SCP-106 - The Old Man

SCP-140 - An Incomplete Chronicle

Kill 682

SCP-001-Bright - The Factory

SCP-666-J - The Roaring Flames of Hell

SCP-895 - Camera Disruption

SCP-5308-J - The Collection

SCP-8900-EX - Sky Blue Sky

black white black white black white black white black white gray

Eldritch Application

Nobody Knows

SCP-871 - Self-Replacing Cake

SCP-001-Mann - The Spiral Path

Series II Era

SCP-1000 - Bigfoot

SCP-902 - The Final Countdown

SCP-993 - Bobble the Clown

Transcript of Dr. Clef's seminar, "Reality Benders and You: How to Survive When Existence Doesn't."

SCP-001-Swann - The Database

Bees

SCP-006-J - WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING

10:30 A.M.

Ethics Committee Orientation

SCP-1959 - The Lost Cosmonaut

SCP-____-J - Procrastinati

SCP-1048 - Builder Bear

SCP-001-EX-J - Records of the CKG Gathering

SCP-1893 - The Minotaur's Tale

SCP-1983 - Doorway to Nowhere

SCP-1733 - Season Opener

SCP-1230 - A Hero is Born

SCP-1322 - Glory Hole

SCP-1370 - Pesterbot

SCP-1193 - Buried Giant

SCP-1545 - Larry the Loving Llama

SCP-1981 - "RONALD REAGAN CUT UP WHILE TALKING"

SCP-even number-J - An [Adjective] [Animal]

SCP-1867 - A Gentleman

SCP-1609 - The Remains of a Chair

SCP-1440 - The Old Man from Nowhere

SCP-1425 - Star Signals

SCP-1173 - The Islamic Republic of Eastern Samothrace

SCP-1171 - Humans Go Home

SCP-1678 - UnLondon

UIU Orientation

SCP-1437 - A Hole to Another Place

SCP-1958 - Magic Bus

Quiet Days

Why Change?

SCP-186 - To End All Wars

Treats

SCP-348 - A Gift from Dad

SCP-1295 - Meg's Diner

SCP-1342 - To the Makers of Music

SCP-1504 - Joe Schmo

The Executions of Doctor Bright

SCP-1471 - MalO ver1.0.0

The Young Man

wowwee go kill ursefl

[quicktimeeventfull]

top 5 scps s'il vous please

hello alex this is a fantastic question & it sent me down a few pleasant hours of looking through favourite scps

[REDACTED PER PROTOCOL 4000-ESHU] (aka taboo): this is one of my all-time favourite pieces of short horror fiction. it’s a forest that cannot be named full of things that cannot be named & everyone should read it

scp-1981 (ronald reagan cut up and talking): a tape that shows a video of ronald reagan giving a speech while being slowly mutilated. i love this one. its simple and unnerving with no clear danger indicated

scp-414 : a degenerative condition in which one slowly loses the ability to maintain an identity or happiness without the presence of another person. one of my all-time favourite scps and very haunting imo

scp-2602, which used to be a library: a location which compels people to repeatedly reference the fact that it used to be a library. also an infohazard, my favourite type of scp

scp-3211: it’s a bit hard to describe this one. it’s an scp that you can only observe for six minutes, after which you forget everything about it and can no longer read anything you recorded about it. the page has a lot of meta elements.

[leafdoggy]

If you spend too much time near fiberglass you become ronald reagan cut up while talking

[pinkeoni]

Reagan/Bush ‘84 and the Looming Danger of Homophobia

I was doing a rewatch of some of season 2 and I wanted to share an analysis on something that always caught my eye: the Reagan/Bush ‘84 campaign signs. I might have to rewatch season 2 more closely, but for now I’ll focus just on how the set pieces are used in episode 2x02.

Whenever these signs show up they are very eye catching. The sign is bright white and the text and colors are bold, whenever they show up ESPECIALLY during the nighttime scenes, they really grab the eye. These could just be there to establish that this is taking place during the ‘84 election season, but I think they have much more meaning on that based on when they show up.

The first time they pop up in this episode is when Jonathan is dropping Will off at the Wheelers house for trick-or-treating. The sign isn’t too visible as it’s covered by the mailbox, but it’s still in frame.

Typically the appearance of the Reagan/Bush sign involve Will, which is in part due to his focus in this episode but also due to his sexuality. The 80’s was a turbulent time to be gay, in big part thanks to the AIDS crisis and the Reagan administration’s negligence to act. The show never addresses AIDS directly, but it’s likely many viewers (especially older ones) would be aware of this history.

The Reagan/Bush ‘84 signs are meant to signal looming danger and represent the presence of homophobia.

I believe that the signs point to danger (pun intended) based on when they show up. Will has an episode while trick-or-treating, and the placement of the sign here could be a way to foresahdow this threat. Part of why I think this is not only the history behind it but also the selectiveness of when the the Duffers choose to show the sign. They could have placed one at every house to really hammer it in, but the choose only a handful of times to show it.

For example, this is a wide exterior shot where the sign could have easily fit in, but the yard is empty. This is also the part where the boys are joking around about nougat right before Max shows up. The tone is supposed to be humorous and fun.

In this shot when the party is getting candy in Loch Nora, we start with Lucas, Max and Dustin in frame while they have a lighthearted discussion. The sign is not in frame. Mike and Will are seen in the background but aren’t the focus.

When Lucas, Dustin and Max cross in front of a Reagan/Bush sign, this is when the focus shifts to Mike and Will.

Right after the above shot, it cuts to the POV of Will’s camera and Mike and Will have their conversation about Max’s presence. Mike then storms ahead, and we get the sign in two sequential shots:

Following this seperation, Will is called a freak by some strangers and then has an episode.

Considering the fact that the Mind Flayer is a representation of forced conformity, what with it being the remote control to a literal hivemind, it makes sense to pair its looming presence with the other looming presence of Reagan era homophobia. ESPECIALLY considering Will’s struggles with sexuality and the external forces at play there.

It’s also important to note that the Reagan/Bush sign is not just present with Will, but with Mike too. With Will it’s clearer because more focus is placed on him, and his encounter with the Mind Flayer makes the metaphor more obvious, but this ever present danger of homophobia effects Mike as well.

The next time we see the sign its this exterior shot of the Wheeler house, right before we get the crazy together scene where Will talks about his episode.

Now the crazy together scene is about safety and comfort, so why use a set piece that is meant to signal danger? Well, I think it’s there to show how the danger isn’t gone, both the danger of the Mind Flayer and the danger of homophobia. The boys are able to find momentary solace in one another here, but they are unable to escape what lies ahead. Even once they’ve gotten rid of the Mind Flayer at the end of the season, they are unable to get rid of that OTHER danger. Ronald Reagan is reelected in 1984 and serves a second term.

So earlier I mentioned how the sign was just as important to Mike as it was to Will. I think that’s easily seen by the fact that the sign is in front of the Wheeler house. From what I could tell, Mike is the only one out of the party members to have that sign in front of his house. (I could be wrong, again just going off of what was shown in this specific episode)

Now obviously Mike didn’t vote for Ronald Reagan in 1984, this is meant to shine some light on the type of household that Mike lives in and how that might effect his psyche. The Wheelers are a go with the grain, conservative type suburban family. The sign in their yard reinforces this. The Byers do not have the Reagan sign out front. That’s because the Byers are a much different type of household, one where Will might feel more comfortable being himself in.

In the two screenshots I showed that focus on Mike and Will, Will is seen with his back turned to the Reagan/Bush sign while Mike is seen walking voluntarily toward a house with the sign prominent. Furthermore, the sign behind Will is out of focus, while the one in front of Mike is perfectly clear. This is emblematic of their season 3 arcs. Will has chosen to turn his back on conformity, while Mike has decided to embrace it.

[txttletale]

Do you have any fave SCPs?

i really like 3999 [everyone on the website groans at my shit] and 2316. i'm also a big fan of the early dado SCPs before the concept was run into the ground and through the crust of the earth. in terms of more 'classic' SCPS i like 55, ronald reagan cut up while talking, and laugh is fun. finally i reliably love any Gamers Against Weed SCP that isn't just a trojan horse for a tale (cardinal sin of modern SCP) but especially 1168 and 2293.

[fernsam]

Kendrick Lamar - A hip-hop Genius

Bitch don’t kill my vibe. I’m sure many of you recognize this line from the famous rapper Kendrick Lamar. That was the first song I heard from him, and got more into him as I heard more and more. Although I have listened to a considerable amount of his songs, I have never really looked at the deeper meanings behind his work (I know. It's a crime). I’ve always known that his songs usually have complex themes but I have never actually figured out the whole story. In fact, I don’t really know much about Kendrick besides that he makes good music and is considered one of the greatest rappers of his generation (so seriously: I know nothing). This post will hopefully figure out what exactly helped him gain such a title.  

Background 

In Compton, on June 17th, 1987, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (like the song? :O) was born and became one of the most influential rappers of the 21st century. Compton was an area that was plagued by violence and poverty. According to Britannica, Kendrick grew up in a high-crime area of Compton and began writing rhymes as a teenager relating to this. In 2003 he released his first mixtape called Youngest Head Nigga in Charge, which impressed a record label known as Top Dawg. I tried to look for this mixtape but surprisingly it was not online. Although the mixtape is hard to find, Kendrick explained in an interview with HipHopDX that the record label told Kendrick he “sounds just like he’s Jay-Z.” Also, a lot of people in his life and at school were talking about him made him, which made him realize the influence that he has. 

Kendrick: “Damn, my shit is really making an impact on the city and go full force with this shit.”

Discovering the influence music brings as well as his upbringing in Compton, Kendrick Lamar had found something to shape his music and storytelling around. 

Rise to Fame - Section.80

In 2011, Kendrick dropped his first album: Section.80, a 14-track tape that received a high amount of praise. Through this album, Kendrick uses his storytelling abilities to address complex social issues. Medium described the album as “a meditation and analysis on the vices and pitfalls that follow his generation, all while painting a loosely-tied narrative about two women, Keisha and Tammy.” 

According to Genius, the reason for the name of the album is that in 1982, Ronald Reagan cut funding to the Section 8 program in half. This means that he believed social programs were not necessary and his campaign increased the divide between the rich and poor in America. I have learned about Reagan in history class and his Cold War policies, but I never thought about the effect it had on the poor. I even loved the song Ronald Reagan Era, but hearing the context makes the song hit harder. 

The first song on the album is literally called “fuck your ethnicity.” This is one of my favorite songs on the album because not only is the instrumental a bop, but his message is very empowering. Kendrick is trying to express how race is leading to more division between people and he welcomes anyone who can understand his story. He also introduces two characters: Keisha and Tammy to explore two different stories of people who grew up in Compton. The characters are explored on their own in other songs. For example, Keisha’s Song (Her Pain) talks about how prostitutes get treated badly by their boyfriends. The women are vulnerable, and it's a challenge to keep fighting. 

The album as a whole reflects on issues like the crack epidemic, gang violence, and the effects of Ronald Reagan's policies on the African-American community. Kendrick was able to incorporate musical abilities, such as rhyme patterns and unique instrumentals, with narrative abilities to produce a compelling first album, but this was just the first album. I feel that although Kendrick nailed the narrative component, all of his songs were not musically interesting. He had his high moments, with killer songs like HiiiPower and Rigamortis, but there is room for improvement in terms of making it sound good. And he improves just that through his second album: good kid, m.A.A.d city. 

A Turning Point -  Good Kid, M.A.A.D City 

As mentioned previously, the first Kendrick song that I heard was Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe. This song came from his second album, good kid, m.A.A.d city (gkmc), which was released in 2012. After this album was released, Kendrick exploded in popularity. It “debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart” and Kendrick was even nominated for seven 2013 Grammy Awards, including Best Album and Best New Artist. Although he didn’t win (which I think showed how stupid the Grammys are imo),  Kendrick continued to gain millions of fans and supporters, even making major TV appearances such as performing on SNL. His fan base grew as well, with not only hip-hop fans, but more college students and alternative rock fans. (I have no idea where alternative rock fans came from but thanks biography.com.) 

Like Section.80, this album continues the narrative approach except in a more autobiographical sense. The album paints a vivid picture of Kendrick's personal teenage experiences in Compton. The title itself explains how he is just a good kid in a crazy city. Interestingly,  according to Spin, "M.A.A.D" stands for both "My Angry Adolescence Divided" and "My Angels on Angel Dust," indicating the juxtaposition between his desire to maintain innocence and the chaos of his environment. Along with his complex themes, he also upgrades the musicality and there are a lot of musically pleasing songs on this album. 

A song on this album that encapsulates the artistic genius of Kendrick is Swimming Pools. Without looking deeply, this song sounds like a song you would drink and vibe to (which is what I always thought), but looking at the lyrics there is so much more deep stuff going on.  Kendrick talks about how peer pressure affects alcoholism. The irony is that although this song sounds like a club song, it talks about the negative effects of alcoholism and how much it is normalized in Kendrick's environment. Tying a metaphor between a swimming pool and alcoholism shows how easy to drown in either. Even towards the end of the song, he builds on the overarching story by talking about how K. Dot’s (a character of this album) actions led to his brother being killed. 

Listening to the whole album was such an experience. As Pitchfork put it, “It feels like walking directly into Lamar's childhood home and, for the next hour, growing up alongside him.”  Kendrick discusses his struggles with the effects of gang violence, drugs, and poverty in his community. I wanted to discuss certain songs that I really enjoyed, but honestly, Kendrick did such a good job with the consistency. I was going through my playlist to see which songs I liked and I realized I have most of the songs except the first song and the last two songs (Real and Compton). Maybe I’ll convert and like these as well one day. The music and lyrics speak for themselves, and the entire album does a great job of keeping a narrative theme as well as maintaining this sort of serious yet chill vibe throughout. 

A Masterpiece - To Pimp a Butterfly 

Just when you think an album can’t get any better, Kendrick Lamar releases To Pimp A Butterfly (tpab) in 2015. Kendrick continues to keep the narrative theme and explores society as well as self-worth. This time, however, there are even more unique musical factors such as jazz, funk, and spoken word poetry. According to Britannica,  the album broke a Spotify record because it was streamed more than 9.6 million times within a week of its release. President Barack Obama even declared a song on this album his favorite song of 2015. He also finally won the Grammys (I still don’t like them) with best rap performance and best rap song (both for “Alright”), best rap/sung collaboration (for “These Walls”), best music video (for “Bad Blood”), and best rap album (for To Pimp a Butterfly). 

Considering how successful this album was, what made it so good? The diversity. Like good kid, m.A.A.d city, and Section.80, tpab follows the typical narrative story that Kendrick had previously portrayed; however, this album has a lot more variety of characters and includes a lot more themes that relate to society as a whole. There is also a lot more variety in terms of genres. Although this is a rap album, there is half a jazz band present at all times, a pianist, a sax player, slam poetry, and sound effects (according to Pitchfork).  

“ALLS MY LIFE, I HAVE TO FIGHT.”  Alright is a song on tpab that showcases the jazz aspect of the album. The music is so catchy and just makes you want to shout the whole song. Although this song is very short, Kendrick shows how he is going to escape his troubles. It’s a simple idea: “we gon’ be alright.” Under the surface, however,  this song creates awareness of police brutality. In fact, in 2015, the Black Lives Matter movement used the phrase  “we gon’ be alright” to protest against police brutality. 

Throughout this album, Kendrick delved into the depths of black identity and societal struggles, painting a picture of personal conflict within racial injustice. Although I love this album, unlike gkmc, I only really liked a half of the songs on this album. But when I did like it, I REALLY liked it. I appreciate the experimentation and am happy on how this album turned out. Alright is probably one of my favorite songs, but I also really love King Kunta, The Blacker the Berry, These Walls, i, and How Much a Dollar Cost. 

Continuing the legend - DAMN.

Continuing his streak of groundbreaking albums, DAMN. was released in 2017. This album earned Kendrick his first Billboard No. 1 single with HUMBLE. and won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, which made him the first rapper to receive this honor. According to Britannica, HUMBLE. won Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, Rap Performance, and Music Video. That is a lot of categories! This man is just collecting everything (and rightfully so).  

In DAMN. Kendrick used a raw, more direct narrative. This album is a lot more broad and explores the themes of fate, spirituality, and the complexities of the human condition. And although the album sounds simple, there was a lot of conspiracy that followed the release of this album. According to Medium, Kendrick confirmed a theory that the album could be played in reverse, telling two different stories: weakness and wickedness. 

In a more broad sense, This album had a lot of hits like DNA. and HUMBLE. Honestly, comparing this album to the others, this album is not one of my favorites. I liked a few of the songs but in terms of diversity, I felt that it was lacking. This is more of a contemporary and mainstream rap album, which is fine. I like the idea of how the album tells two stories. I feel like listening to it backward was interesting, especially considering how the first song was DUCKWORTH. (one of my favorites from the album). Hearing the little reversed part from DUCKWORTH reversed back blew my mind. According to Genius, that audio symbolized “a flashback or a wormhole representing Kendrick’s life”. Kendrick was able to use his outro to portray such a unique idea. 

Expanding outside of Albums - Afterwards 

Throughout the releases of these albums, Kendrick has been featured in many great songs. For example, family ties, made me find out that Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar are blood relatives (they definitely act like it). In 2018, Lamar produced an album that was from and inspired by the famous movie Black Panther. Think about that: he made music for a famous Marvel movie.

He also again won a Grammy for best rap performance. In 2022, Kendrick Lamar performed at the Super Bowl halftime with the infamous Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, and other hip-hop stars. In the same year, he released his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. It won Grammys and produced some banger songs like N95. 

The Influence

Kendrick Lamar is not just a rapper; he's a storyteller, a social commentator, and a visionary artist. Watching his journey, either through directly listening to his albums, or watching how much he has grown as a musician, is definitely an experience. Fans are invited to be a part of his lifetime from the streets of Compton to his present global success as an artist. That is what is so amazing about him, Kendrick Lamar started off great and just kept on getting better. It’s no wonder that he is called one of the most influential rappers of his generation. 

Not only is his music in a league of its own, but Kendrick was able to use his fame in the hip-hop world to make an impact on American culture through his insight into Black culture and the flaws of modern society as a whole. What I really enjoy about Kendrick is that he creates a space that allows everyone to listen to music. As a casual listener myself, his songs sound good and are so unique. He also manages to not sound too preachy throughout the whole process, which is pretty impressive. Kendrick Lamar does the inconceivable and can successfully tell a compelling story while also making banger music.

[supermariomamafucker]

ronald reagan cut up while talking

[finalhaunts]

Wait ronald reagan cut up while talking is a real thing. I thought that was just a joke phrase someone came up with

[phinnsyreads]

SCP-1981 - "RONALD REAGAN CUT UP WHILE TALKING"

by Digiwizzard

Today's installment of the Expanded Series, featuring Lee Daniel, was requested by Patreon patron, Gregg. The Database thanks you for your continued support!

[planetary]

i keep using the phrase of like “im going to cut someone up” or other variants and im referencing that one scp Ronald Reagan Cut Up While Talking but that doesnt come across easily or at all so it hasnt been that funny to people

[catacini]

ultimately i think if there's any value in the uptick of deepfakes, ai generated text, and that new voice AI that can mimic people almost indistinguishably, it's that if we all put our heads together we can make the "ronald reagan cut up while talking" scp a reality

[vote-democrat-president-congress]

RobertReich: "The real reason Republicans are waging this fight is they see it as a backdoor way of attacking the two most popular (and largest) safety nets in the federal government: Social Security and Medicare. They dare not take on these programs directly. But the GOP believes that negotiating over the debt ceiling gives them an opportunity to begin to shrink these programs."

RobertReich: Friends, Few things make me as furious as the mainstream media’s reluctance to tell the public what the Republican Party is doing — and instead hide the truth behind “both sides” rubbish. How the hell can democracy work if The New York Times, CNN, and even NPR obscure what’s really going on?Let me state five central truths about the pending fight over the debt ceiling and show you how the mainstream media is distorting each of them.Truth #1: The fight is being waged solely by the Republican Party. The Democrats did not pick this fight. When Trump occupied the White House, Republicans voted to increase the debt limit three times without incident. Over the last quarter century, it has been raised over a dozen times.You wouldn’t know this from the way it’s being covered. Last Thursday’s Times, in an article titled “Months Before a Potential Crisis, Both Parties Kick Off a Fiscal Blame Game,” leads with the wildly false equivalence that:“Members of both parties are intent on painting the opposition as culpable for the turmoil that would result from a catastrophic default on the debt this summer….Administration officials say Republicans are provoking an unnecessary crisis by insisting on deep spending cuts …. [But Kevin McCarthy] has started early trying to lay the blame at the feet of Democrats instead. As Republicans vow to extract spending cuts in exchange for an increase in the debt limit, Mr. McCarthy insists it is Mr. Biden and his allies in Congress who are acting cavalierly by refusing in advance to negotiate on such reductions, and they who are risking upheaval if they do not shift their position. The clear inference is that whatever happens will be the fault of Mr. Biden and Senate Democrats.CNN is no better. Anchor Erin Burnett has framed the fight as “a dangerous game of chicken,” in which “Republicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling without any strings attached,” while “the White House — well, they are going to the opposite extreme.” White House going to the opposite extreme? Hello?CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox even describes Republicans and Democrats as “retreating to their corners” and “sticking to their political talking points.”Truth #2: The fight has nothing whatever to do with controlling the national debt. It has to do with paying the nation’s bills. The “debt ceiling” is merely an accounting convention. The national debt is comprised of obligations already incurred. If Republicans were serious about controlling the national debt, they’d be willing to consider tax increases — including repeal of the giant Trump tax cut that went mostly to big corporations and the very rich. But the national debt isn’t on their minds.Yet the mainstream media is intent on treating this as a fight over the national debt.On CNN’s major political talk show last Sunday, anchor Jake Tapper suggested to Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) that it would be “irresponsible” for the GOP not to force a fight over the debt ceiling, saying, “We have these crazy deficits, crazy national debt. It's $30 trillion right now … Isn't it time that Congress takes this seriously? And would the Republicans be irresponsible for not forcing this conversation?” In an interview with the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, Tapper said that it’s “a problem” that “the U.S. government spends a lot more money than it takes in” and that Democrats are unwilling to negotiate. “Republicans say they are willing to come to the table to discuss raising the debt ceiling but they also want to discuss negotiations to reduce future government spending. … Are you willing to at least sit down and see if there is a deal to be made in any way?” Truth #3: For the last half century, Democratic administrations have been more fiscally responsible than Republican ones. I was part of Bill Clinton’s administration, which balanced the federal budget after Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush had racked up record deficits. Obama cleaned up after George W. Bush’s runaway spending and tax cuts. The Trump administration added a whopping $7 trillion to the national debt.Yet if you watch or listen to the mainstream media, you’d think that the two parties are equally fiscally irresponsible and will be equally at fault for whatever happens next.Introducing a pair of segments, CNN anchor John Berman said “Republicans refuse to budge on demands and Democrats refuse to budge on negotiations.”Truth #4: The real reason Republicans are waging this fight is they see it as a backdoor way of attacking the two most popular (and largest) safety nets in the federal government: Social Security and Medicare. They dare not take on these programs directly. But the GOP believes that negotiating over the debt ceiling gives them an opportunity to begin to shrink these programs.The mainstream media barely mentions this underlying strategy. Politico refers to raising the debt limit as a “political stalemate” and describes the positions as: “Conservatives want a deal that includes spending cuts, but the White House says meeting the country’s obligations should be non-negotiable.” Truth #5: The act of holding the full faith and credit of the United States hostage is the economic equivalent of aiming a nuclear missile at the American (and world) economies and demanding concessions. It’s not a bargaining tactic. It’s a terrorist tactic.Yet the mainstream media makes it sound as if Republicans have long used fights over the debt ceiling to counter Democratic spending. Consider this, in last Friday’s The New York Times, in an article titled “A Political Fight is Again Putting the Economy at Risk.”Republicans, in particular, have used the passage of bills increasing the limit as leverage to try to force spending cuts on Democratic administrations …. If lawmakers have a problem with spending, the debt ceiling offers a way to protest….The media are even blaming Democrats for not negotiating over the debt ceiling. On NPR’s Morning Edition, political correspondent Susan Davis said, “For now, McCarthy is the only leader at the negotiating table.”Of course McCarthy is the only one at the negotiating table. The Biden administration and the Democrats are not negotiating because raising the debt ceiling should be non-negotiable.Friends, I’m not even talking here about Fox News or its many far-right imitators. I’m referring to the so-called “moderate” mainstream media that most Americans rely on for their news.The pending fight over raising the debt ceiling is complicated. If the mainstream media gets it wrong, how do we expect most Americans to get it right?

[hip-hypocrite]

thsanks you ronald reagan cut up while talking and worm suggestion

[science-criticaltheory]

Why so many people voted for Trump − 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters’ thinking - Alex Hinton

For many people, especially those leaning left, Donald Trump’s disqualifications to be president seem obvious. Why did so many people vote for Trump again, they wonder, and how did he win not just the Electoral College vote this time but the popular vote as well?

Trump’s critics cite his two impeachments, multiple criminal indictments at the state and federal levels and a felony conviction as evidence that he is unfit to be president again. Opponents also say that Trump is a threat to democracy, a misogynist, racist, a serial liar and a rapist.

About 78% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independent voters say that Trump broke the law when he allegedly tried to overturn the 2020 election results. But less than half of Republicans think he did anything wrong.

I am an anthropologist of peace and conflict, and I have been studying what I call the Trumpiverse since 2015, when Trump descended a golden escalator and announced his candidacy for president. I later wrote a related book in 2021, called “It Can Happen Here.”

More recently, I have been examining toxic polarization – and ways to stop it. Many efforts to reduce people’s polarized views begin with an injunction: Listen and understand.

Why did people vote for Trump?

To this end, I have attended Trump rallies, populist and nonpartisan events and meetings where Democrats and Republicans connect and talk. Along the way, I have spoken with Trump supporters ranging from the Make America Great Again, or MAGA, faithful to moderate “hold the nose and vote for him” conservatives.

And indeed, many on the left fail to understand who Trump voters are and how they vary. Trump’s base cannot simply be dismissed as racist “deplorables,” as Hillary Clinton famously said in 2016, or as country bumpkins in red MAGA hats. Trump voters trend older, white, rural, religious and less educated. But they include other groups, including Latinos and male voters.

Many people have thoughtful reasons for voting for Trump, even if their reasoning – as is also true for those on the left – is often inflamed by populist polarizers and media platforms.

Here are five key lines of reasoning that, in varying combinations, informed the choices of Trump voters.

1. Media distortion

Where those on the left see Trump’s many failings, those on the right may see what some political observers call Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes simply called TDS.

According to this argument, the left-leaning media dissects Trump’s every word, and the media then distorts what he says. I have found that some Trump supporters think that people who feed too much on this allegedly biased media diet can get TDS and develop a passionate, perhaps illogical dislike of Trump.

I have also heard hardcore Trump supporters argue, with no evidence, that “fake news” media outlets, like CNN, are part of a larger deep state plot of the federal government to upend the will of the people. This plot, according to those who propagate it, includes not just leftists, government bureaucrats and people who claim to be Republicans but really aren’t, but also people in law enforcement.

Some Trump supporters also see merit in his contention that he is being wrongly persecuted, just as some see the Jan. 6 defendants being persecuted.

2. Bread on the table, money in the bank

“Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

For many Trump voters, the answer to Ronald Reagan’s famous question is clear: “No.”

They accurately remember Trump’s term as one of tax cuts, economic growth and stock market highs.

It is true that overall employment numbers and average pay went up under President Joe Biden. But for some Trump supporters, that economic boost pales in comparison to the massive surge in inflation during Biden’s term, with prices rising almost 20%. While the inflation rate has recently abated, prices remain high – as voters are reminded every day at the grocery store.

At the end of the 2024 campaign, polls showed Trump with a strong lead over Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on how to handle the economy. The economy was a top concern for voters, especially Republicans, and ultimately drove many voters to Trump.

3. A border invasion

Another reason some Americans voted for Trump: immigration.

Like inflation, the number of people illegally crossing the border soared under Biden.

This massive influx of “illegal aliens,” as Trump calls them, dropped to its lowest level in four years in July 2024. This happened after the Biden administration made it harder for immigrants to apply for asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, a policy measure that is in line with many Republicans’ approach.

In 2022, a poll found 7 out of 10 Republicans worried that “open borders” were part of a Democratic plot to expand liberals’ power by replacing conservative white people with nonwhite foreigners.

Trump played into some people’s mostly false concerns that immigrants living illegally in the U.S. are freeloaders and won’t assimilate, as illustrated by his untrue September 2024 allegations that immigrants were eating pets in Ohio.

In 2022, 82% of Republicans said they viewed immigration as a “very important” issue. Trump continues to tout his proposed solution, which includes shutting the border, building a wall and deporting 11 million immigrants who are living in the U.S. without legal authorization.

4. A proven record

Beyond the economy and immigration, some Trump voters simply compared the records of Trump and the Biden-Harris administration and found that the tally tilted firmly toward Trump.

There were no new wars under Trump. Biden-Harris, in contrast, have been saddled with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip. Trump supporters’ perception is that American taxpayers foot a large portion of the bill, even though other countries are also giving money to Ukraine, and Israel is actually buying weapons from the U.S.

I have found that Trump supporters also think he is better suited to deal with the rising power and threat of China. Finally, abortion opponents believe he delivered by appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.

5. The MAGA bull in a china shop

While some Harris supporters lamented Trump’s destruction of democracy and decency in politics, I have found that Trump voters see a charismatic MAGA bull in a china shop.

His supporters wanted Trump elected precisely because he is an unrelenting pugilist, or a fighter – as he showed when he raised a fist after the July assassination attempt against him.

Some in the Trumpiverse even view him as savior who will rescue the U.S. from a “radical left” apocalypse.

For Trump stalwarts, MAGA is not simply a slogan. It is a movement to save an America that is on the brink of failure.