#scandale Alabama

[firebarzzz]

Corruption, Drogues et Mort : L’Histoire Horrifique du Département de Police de Hanceville – Par Firebarzzz.com

Corruption, Drogues et Mort : L’Histoire Horrifique du Département de Police de Hanceville – Par Firebarzzz.com Corruption, Drogues et Mort : L’Histoire Horrifique du Département de Police de Hanceville – Un cauchemar en uniforme : La police de Hanceville, une organisation criminelle ? Le 19 février 2025, un rapport du grand jury de Cullman County a révélé une réalité terrifiante : le…

[dec4podcast]

In this our second Elvis and the Press episode, we’re joined once again by our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), to take a deep dive into the coverage of Elvis’ New Year’s Eve performance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the end of 1976. This was the second consecutive New Year’s Eve Elvis had worked, with touring now continuing throughout winter by financial necessity. Elvis’ Pittsburgh show, concluding a very well-received, high energy tour over just five nights, proved to be a remarkable moment in time, and was widely considered one of the best performances of his later career.

Gary takes us through some of the show’s highlights, and we consider in detail a thoughtfully compiled review in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by music columnist, Mike Kalina, who observed that Elvis ‘had perhaps the most captive audience since Johnny Cash played Folsom Prison, and rarely did he lose his iron grip on the crowd during his 90 minutes on stage’.

The Pittsburgh Civic Arena (later Mellon Arena). It was demolished in in either 2010 or 2011-2012, depending on the source.

We also go on to look at Mike Kalina’s eventful and very successful career as a food writer and cooking personality, and his sad passing in the midst of a professional scandal to which there appears to be much more than meets the eye.

On stage in Pittsburgh, New Year's Eve. On his show in Birmingham, Alabama, two nights earlier, The Birmingham News wrote that ‘Elvis was in good voice, good shape, good health and good spirits. He had lost weight and gained confidence’.

This episode's dedicated webpage has additional background, including the audience recording of the show in full, as well as research notes and links to our sources, with some suggestions for further reference;

And in our post-credits segment right at the end, Gary recalls his most recent visit to Memphis, and what can only be described as an 'interesting' stay at Days Inn, Elvis Presley Boulevard.

The iconic Days Inn swimming pool in happier times. To find out more about Gary's latest visit to Memphis and Graceland, including some great images and a hypnotic video of the walk from the Graceland Gates to the Meditation Garden, check out Walking in Memphis 2024 at soulrideblog.com.

We hope you enjoy our latest episode. Find us on SoundCloud, YouTube, and wherever your get your podcasts.

Concert schedules, stats and press reviews thanks to Francesc Lopez and elvisconcerts.com.

[inky-duchess]

Asks for a Royal WIP or a Royal AU.

What rank is your OC?

How are they addressed?

Do they always expect to be addressed formally at all times? Are they comfortable with it?

Where do they stand in the succession? How do they feel about this?

What sort of succession system is it? Agnatic? Primogeniture? Gender-biased?

What sort of monarchy does your OC belong to? Do they like this style?

What's your OC's opinion on Monarchy? Do they believe in it? Are they for or against? Reasons why?

How did the dynasty come to be?

What is the dynasty known for? Are they bloody like the Tudors? Are they fabulously wealthy like the Romanovs? Are they... A loving family like the Hapsburgs? *opening twangs of Sweet Home Alabama*

Is the dynasty old? Or new? How does this effect how they operate?

Are they traditionalists or modernise?

What do the people think of the royal family? Are they headed toward Monseiur Guillotine? Or treasured?

Is there a famous ancestor they look up to? One they would rather not speak about?

Are there any pretenders to the Crown? If so, who are they and why do they believe they have a right to the throne?

What are some monuments built by the dynasty?

What are some duties your OC is expected to perform? Military service? The bestowing of honours? Attending the monarch at large events?

Does your OC dislike living in the public eye? Or do they believe it's part of the job?

Where does your OC live?

How many palaces, castles and homes does your OC call home?

Has your OC ever been on a tour of their country? What's their favourite region?

How does your OC view politics? Are they a reformer or do they prefer to hide from change?

Your OC has a day engagement. What do they wear?

Your OC has a state occasion. What do they wear?

Does your OC enjoy ceremonial ornaments such as orders, tiaras, uniforms and crowns? If not, why? If so, why?

Do they enjoy large public occasions? Do they enjoy the pomp and ceremony?

Somebody has neglected to bow/curtsy in an effort to insult. What does your OC do in response?

They encounter somebody who doesn't recognise them but they are friendly. Does your OC a) immediately inform them b) leave them off and just have a nice chat c) other option.

Are they known for their fashion taste?

Does your OC do any charity work? What are some charities they support?

How does the press characterize your OC? Are they a darling or a devil?

Your OC has been the target of some bad press. What to they do to straighten out the story?

Has your OC ever escaped the palace for an adventure?

What are some famous pieces of jewellery owned by the royal family?

How does jewellery work in the family? Who can wear what pieces? Who decides this?

Do they have servants? Is your OC liked by the servants? If not, why?

Are they close to anybody who isn't royal? A servant? A companion?

Does your OC ever hate being born royal?

Are there any restrictions on them because they are royal? Can they marry as they like? Live how they want? Is there anything they are utterly barred from doing?

What are some expectations your OC must live up to? Can they fulfil them? If not, why not?

What are some ridiculous rules they must follow?

How rigid is royal life?

What privileges are they entitled to?

How does being royal effect how they act? Are they predisposed to snobbery? Or do they believe themselves above others?

Have they ever had a scandal? If so, details.

What is your OC known for? Their hardwork? Their duty? Their wild social life?

If your OC ever had to choose between what's best for the Crown or themselves, what would they choose?

If they are ever offered the chance of power, would they oust the monarch?

If the monarch was in danger of running the country into the ground, would your OC rebel against them?

There's a revolution and everyone wants the royals dead. What does your OC do? A) Join the Revolution B) RUN C) Stay and keeping living the high life (god that mob is getting close) D) Betray their family and give them to the mob to save themselves.

Your OC has been invited to a large party on the eve of a very bad disaster which has killed and wounded many. Do they attend the party? Or head to the site to help or at very least show they care?

I will accept asks for Misha, Olezka, Katya, Sergei.

[mitigatedchaos]

The John Shift Incident

The year is 2042.

Billionaire pop idol Taylor Swift retired to an orbital space station in 2034, with quarterly deliveries of supplies and the occasional celebrity visitor.

John Shift, a paparazzo, is hired by The Daily Scald, an Internet tabloid (their premier product uses AI to dunk on celebrities to make their clients feel better about themselves). John's boss, Robert Montresor, provides John with a meager budget and orders him to go into space to get photographic footage of Taylor Swift. (The footage has to be on physical film.) John purchases a second-hand rocket from a rocket dealer in Mumbai that he knows is shady, but decides not to ask tough questions because he can't afford better. The dealer is illegally reselling a rocket which has aged out of service in the Indian space launch industry, but has applied makeshift repairs. The dealer represents the rocket as in good working condition.

After launching into space, the life support system on John's rocket fails, and he dies in orbit. After a period of seven days in space, the rocket's automated systems put it onto a return trajectory. It then lands on the roof of an elementary school in Alabama, and the incident becomes a national scandal. (No additional people are injured or killed by the rocket's return.)

Who is at fault for John Shift's death?

[honey-bitch]

Natal Chart Analysis: Alabama Barker

Alambama Barker recently got a lot of flack for messing with Bad Bhabie's man and beefing with OF girlie Camila Araújo.

What I first noticed about her chart is that her Venus is conjunct Chrion in the 10th house. She's known for her looks however she's got a lot of controversy for her look, as people are saying that she's culturally appropriating.

NOT TO MENTION THAT transiting Pluto is conjunct her Venus and chiron, so that may explain why her current behaviour is being criticised by everyone and she's undergoing a transformation.

She's susceptible to lies as her mercury is in the detriment sign of Sagittarius, and sextile neptune and moon. This can explain her naivety to an extent... as Camilla is a rage baiter and she fell for the bait. While the sextile can make for a person who can potentially lies...

She is currently GOING THROUGH IT, she's the exact opposite of me cap sun, libra moon, and so I know she cares a lot about people's perception of her libra moon, 10th house placements. She's very sensitive and wants to be liked, and now with the controversy, it's hitting her hard.

She also has a grand fixed cross which represents her being stubborn as fuck. Not to mention her chart ruler is in taurus, which although ruled by Venus is known to be stubborn AF.

Not to mention Lilith in Leo in the 5th, the 5th house rules over children and she's in a scandal because she was messing with Bad Bhabie's bad daddy. 

Mars in the first in taurus - very competitive and sensual, her mars is in detriment and that may be why she's not backing down 

Moon opposite ascendant, very giving and kind, she wants harmony. However the public only sees the martian energy to her she probably feels very misunderstood.

TRANSITS (29/12/24)

Her natal venus and chiron is opposing transiting mars in the 4th. She's getting attacked because of 'family' and people are resenting hr because of her privilege (Leo).

Transiting chiron is conjunct her ascendant - being victimised because of being herself, and exposing her insecurities. 

Transiting Lilith in the 7th house in libra opposing ascendant and conjunct moon. She's getting slack for relationship issues. 

CONCLUSION

Ultimately i think doing this reading on her made me understand her alot more, and have more empathy. Do I think she's an amazing person... no. However I do have empathy for her, she's going to go through a rough year. But hopefully she transforms into a better person.

What celebrity should I do next?

[simply-ivanka]

WHAT IS GOING ON IN HANCEVILLE, ALABAMA??

The police chief, five officers, and an officer’s wife were arrested after a grand jury determined the dept operated under “a rampant culture of corruption” and a “criminal enterprise” and recommended it be ABOLISHED after multiple scandals.

[cutedisneygirl]

Wrong Decision

Warnings: It is a little sad at first but then there will be just fluff and sweet moments.

It is the 24th of December-Christmas Eve and Bella stood alone, painstakingly decorating her Christmas tree. Normally, she loves this time of year-cheerful music, the twinkling lights, the warmth of the season. But the past two Christmases had been tough, leaving her questioning if she should even bother putting up a tree this year. Instead of her usual post-Thanksgiving decorating spree, she waited until the last minute, struggling to find the joy she once felt. As she reaches for the ornament, a symbol of happier times, it now only reminds her of the relationship that ended so painfully two years ago, just days before Christmas.

Unknowingly to her Chris, her ex is standing outside her house, he is watching her from afar close to her window. He is in so much pain knowing he made the wrong decision and there she is, decorating her tree, sad and alone while he is outside in the snow. As Chris watches her the snow continues to fall. Hitting his jacket, and face. The flakes stuck to his coat and hair. Chris is hesitant and can’t choose between running away or walking towards her house. As he turns around and decides to leave, Bella can see him through her window, walking away.

Bella begins to cry as she sees him walking away. Her heart acts and she just wishes things had ended differently. She wished they were still together. She looks back at her tree and not feeling like decorating anymore she sighs and walks away. She heads to the kitchen and fixes herself a cup of hot chocolate. She heads to the couch, curls up with her Winne the Pooh blanket, and turns on Netflix. The sight of countless Christmas movies only reminds her of Chris and the joy they once shared. She finally settles on “Sweet Home Alabama”, hoping a rom com will distract her aching heart.

She was halfway through the movie when Bella hears a knock at her door. “I wonder who that could be.” She says to herself. She pauses her movie and gets up from the couch and walks over to the door and opens it. She is shocked, there stands Chris. He is wearing a blue collared shirt and light brown pants and bundled up with a red scarf, the scarf Bella had made him two years ago. He is covered in snow.

“Chris, what are you doing here?” “Bella, I had to see you. Please can we talk?” “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” “Bella please, let me in. I just want to talk. Please.” Bella sighs “Okay.” She moves to the side so Chris can step inside. Once he’s inside she closes the door. For a few minutes all they can do is stare at each other. “Bella, I’m sorry.” Chris says after several moments of silence. Bella remains silent as she listens to Chris apologize. “I was an idiot for breaking up with you. These last two years have been hell for me. I miss you like crazy. I want another chance.” “Chris I….” “I know I hurt you. But I was an idiot! I wish could take back what I did, but I can’t. But I want another chance. I love you Bella, I always have. I never stopped. For the last two years I have thought of you and wanted so much to reach out to you, but I thought you had moved on, I thought you would have met someone and…. but I’m guessing you didn’t.” “No, I haven’t. I have not wanted anyone else. I have been miserable without you, but….”

Chris steps closer to Bella and reaches out and caresses her cheek. “Bella, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was such an idiot. Please forgive me. The reasons I broke up with you was so stupid! I wish I could take it back!” “Why did you break up with me? You never really told me.” Chris sighs. “You’re going to think its stupid and probably hate me.” “I could never hate you, Chris.” Chris sighs. “Well to start off with, I had something happen. I got into a massive scandal, and was accused of something I didn’t do. My agent and PR team told me to distance myself from everyone that was close to me and break off my relationship with you. My agent was also pushing me to maintain a certain image, so I had to cut things off. They told me that being in high-profile relationship could harm my career and add to my stress.” He pauses and takes a breath before he continues. “I wanted to protect you, so I broke things off. I didn’t want to. I loved you and I still do. It was the worst decision I ever made, and I regret it to this day. I was able to clear my name, and I decided to not listen to my agent who wanted me to have a certain image. I have a new agent now and things are better.”

Bella is silent taking everything in that he said. “Chris, why didn’t you tell me? Why did you just end it? I would have understood and would have helped you. If you loved me I don’t understand why you had to keep this from me.” “I’m sorry Bella. I was an idiot! As I said I regret it and wish I could take it. I have been miserable these past two years. They tried to get me to date other people, ones they wanted me to, but I kept comparing them to you and they weren’t you. I couldn’t do it. I ended all of them and then stopped trying and told them I was done and that I didn’t want anyone but you. I’m sorry it took me so long to come back to you. But I would like another chance if you can forgive me.” Bella sighs. “Chris, I love you and I never stopped, but…” “I know it might take a while before you can fully forgive me, but I will do whatever it takes to prove to you that it won’t’ ever happen again and that I love you.” Bella is quiet for several minutes and looks at Chris. She can see in his eyes how truly sorry he is and how much he does love her. She finally sights, “Okay, yes I will give you another chance.”

Chris smiles and takes her his arms and kisses her. In the kiss is so much passion and forgiveness. For that brief moment all the past and what he had done is forgotten. Bella and Chris spend the remainder of the night together cuddled up on the couch.

Now a year later since they got back together it is Christmas Eve and Chris and Bella have just finished baking cookies. “Baby, there is something I want to show you.” “What?” Chris takes her hand and leads her over to the tree. Once they are in front of the tree Chris kneels in front of it getting on one knee. Bella is now about crying. She knows what is about to happen. “Oh Chris!” Chris reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a black velvet box. “Bella, from the moment I met you. I knew I loved you. I knew you were the one for me. I knew when I heard you laugh, and the way we could talk about anything. How you loved Disney just as much as I did. Those two years apart were torture for me. I was going to propose to you back then but then I had to end things. Last year I was going to propose, but I was afraid you would say no after what I did. But now a year later, I know I can’t wait any longer. Please say yes and make me the happiest man alive and marry me. Become my wife, Mrs. Evans.” “Oh Chris! Yes! Yes!” Chris smiles and slides the ring on her finger and then stands up and kisses her. “I love you Bella” “I love you too Chris.”

If you would like this story to continue let me know. I have ideas I can do if you want more.

Taglist:

@cevansbaby-dove

@sarahrogersevans

@nescavaneck

@willowsages-blog

@krissy25

@eva-knits12

@angelbabyyy99

@denise1605

@shywhisperscreator

@bookishtheaterlover7

@kmc1989

@lizette50

@tess-love

@frogeezz-blog-blog

[coimbrabertone]

If You Ain't Cheating, You Ain't Trying...Part One.

Well, in the week between Indycar's Long Beach Grand Prix and the Children's of Alabama Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, all hell broke loose in the series.

Way, way, way back in the distant past of the 2024 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Indycar's season opener - Josef Newgarden won the race and his teammates Scott McLaughlin and Will Power finished third and fourth, respectively.

Except...that's not what happened.

Immediately following the Long Beach Grand Prix, it was announced that Newgarden and McLaughlin were disqualified, and Will Power was docked ten points. All of them were fined and stripped of their prize money from St. Pete. Why? Well, it all has to do with illegal push-to-pass software.

Now, push-to-pass (aka the overtake button) is part of Indycar racing, has been for awhile now. Every driver is given an equal amount for the race, they're allowed to deploy it at their discretion - with some caveats I'll get into in a moment - and it gives them a boost in engine power while they're on the button. If you're an F1 fan of old, it's sorta like the KERS button, except the amount is measured for the whole race, not just by the lap.

The caveat is that push-to-pass is not allowed to be used during starts or restarts. In fact, the only time it should be used - the only time it should be possible to be used - is when race control sends out the transponder signal to enable P2P in the race. Team Penske, however, had a software that allowed them to use P2P whenever, which they say was accidentally left in the car following a preseason test of Indycar's upcoming hybrid system.

So, Penske had an illegal software that allowed them to skirt the P2P rules and get that extra boost in power at any point in the race. Josef Newgarden pressed it multiple times during restarts, Scott McLaughlin used it as well, though he maintains he only used it once and it was by force of habit rather than intentional cheating, and Will Power did not use P2P outside of his limits, but his car carried the software. Thus, the former two were disqualified, and the latter was given a points penalty.

The intriguing thing is...remember when I said that this all happened after Long Beach? Well, the reason for that is that, in morning warm-up ahead of the Long Beach Grand Prix, race control ran into a technical glitch and couldn't turn on P2P, and yet...the Penske cars were using it. All three of them. Race control immediately told them to stop, and then after Long Beach, they went back to look at the season's previous points race at St. Pete. This is when Team Penske was caught, and this is why they were disqualified from St. Pete so long after the fact.

When the news broke, reactions were mixed.

A lot of people felt betrayed by the drivers, they saw this as a breach of trust and integrity, and Josef Newgarden quickly became the poster child of this scandal. This went so far that, at Barber this weekend, Josef hosted a tearful press conference when he tried to defend himself and his honor. Nevertheless, a lot of people seemed to be rooting for Josef to fail at Barber.

As for me, well...I was more intrigued by the whole thing.

Cheating is part of motorsports and always has been, and I choose to treat it almost like a magic trick. It's just like the wild innovations of the 1960s and 1970s - what did these genius designers think of this time to skirt the rules, and how did they do it?

So, on the backs of that Penske controversy, this week, I'm going to do a series of blogs on cheating scandals from racing's past. Today, we'll start with...

The 1994 Benetton Option 13 scandal:

Probably the most similar story to this, in my opinion, is the story of Option 13. Before I get into it, I want to say that youtuber Aidan Millward has done a number of great videos on this topic and I learned a lot from those. Anyway, after the 1992 and 1993 F1 seasons, which saw the teams playing around with traction control, active suspension, automatic gearboxes, launch control, and all kinds of technological innovations, the FIA banned all driver aids ahead of the 1994 season.

For Williams, this made their car unruly and difficult to drive, contributing to the death of Ayrton Senna at the San Marino Grand Prix.

For Benetton and their star driver Michael Schumacher, this gave them the chance to take the fight to the established teams.

Except, Benetton had a little secret...

After retiring from the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix - which you may remember from my Suzuka in April blogpost - Ayrton Senna stood at the side of the track and listened to the cars going past, and when he heard the Benetton, the story goes that he sore they must have been using traction control.

At the very next race, Ayrton Senna dies in his crash and Michael Schumacher wins his third race in a row in the Benetton.

At this point, the FIA asks to see the ECU code from Benetton, Ferrari, and McLaren. Ferrari complied immediately, Benetton and McLaren dragged their feet. Why? Well, it was uncovered that McLaren had some leftover and unused code having to do with automatic shifting, while Benetton...they had Option 13.

On the digital display of the B194, the driver could scroll across twelve displayed options...but they could also scroll down to a thirteenth, unseen option. This hidden option was not traction control, but it was launch control. Benetton maintained that, like McLaren, this was unused leftover code. The FIA was unconvinced, however, they couldn't prove that Benetton actually used this system in the race. Thus, they were at an impasse.

For now, the FIA settled on fining Benetton and McLaren $100,000 for missing the initial deadline on the ECU source code.

For the rest of the season, the FIA watched Benetton like a hawk.

So, when Michael Schumacher decided to start the British Grand Prix early and overtook Damon Hill on the formation lap. 27 minutes later, Schumacher was handed a five second stop-go penalty. When Schumacher failed to serve this penalty, he was shown the black flag on lap twenty-one. However, Schumacher stayed out as Benetton bosses Flavio Briatore and Tom Walkinshaw argued with race control Abu Dhabi 2021 style. Eventually, Schumacher would serve his penalty on lap twenty-seven...six laps after he was disqualified. He then continued further and crossed the finish line second on track, all while technically disqualified.

Benetton appealed, the FIA began an investigation, with Benetton admitting they made a mistake, but arguing that race control failed to inform them within the required fifteen minutes of the incident in question. Michael was allowed to race while the incident was under appeal.

A month and a half later, at the Belgian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher won despite a spin at Pouhon. However, he was disqualified for an irregularly worn plank - much like Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc would be at the 2023 USGP - furthermore, Benetton's appeal from the British Grand Prix was dismissed. Schumacher was banned for the next two races at Monza and Estoril.

In the end though, in controversial fashion, Schumacher would collide with Damon Hill at Adelaide in the season-ending Australian Grand Prix, and thus win the title by one point.

Thus, Benetton's star driver was kicked out of four races that year, but none of it was actually about Option 13. Sure, it's pretty easy to say that the FIA knew that Benetton was bending the rules so decided to throw the book at them at every opportunity, but they could never actually prove cheating.

So yeah, what better way to kick off this week of cheating blogs than with two cases of illegal software thirty years apart.

Next, I intend to talk about the lead shot Tyrrell, and after that, the revered, almost folkloric misadventures of Smokey Yunick in the early years of NASCAR.

[cursedcatchild]

I'm so excited about the new series!

I saw someone who wrote down what they would like to see in it and I was all like: I wanna do that too!🤩

So here it is, feel free to comment your own ideas if you want to! 😇

Finally having decent canon ships: Like TMNT 2012 tried and failed so hard. I swear Ramona was the only non disastrous one. Honestly I loved Leorai until someone decided to blow up the sweet home Alabama bomb right in the fans face. 🤯The rest of the ships were scandalous. And  ROTTMNT didn’t even dare to try and give us ships.😑 Like if I really want, then I might pressure my imagination to see some Kendratello or April+Raph, but nothing is canon. I think this time we deserve some shipper food people! ( So far it goes well, I kinda like the awkward crush Leo has on April. It feels real. Also I am looking forward to some Rasey.😏)

Canon LGBTQ+ turtles (or at least one):  Come on people, this is the 21th century it’s good d*mn time for some queer turtles.🏳️‍🌈 I mean ROTTMNT kinda gave us some gay Leo hints ( I swear if that guy is not gay then gay people are not even real😂), but nothing confirmed. Also what do you think which turtle should be queer? I personally vote for Raph or Donnie.😏

Cynthia Ultron being really evil: Like please let her be an actual threat!😈

Serious villains: Please, no more goofy villains like in Rise! 🥺There can be some, but I firmly believe that the mainly unserious bad guys caused ROTTMNT’s downfall. 😭No way it wouldn’t get a season 3, if the series would start off with something like the Shredder fight or the movie. (And truth to be told, I nearly dropped the show at the beginning, because it felt like it was aimed for a way younger audience with all that goofiness.)

Mutant Racism: This is the first time the turtles are out in public, they go to school and stuff. But even though they are accepted everything can’t be peachy, right? I want the tasty conflict of not all humans accepting them. Like, it would be illogical that there not a single rick b*tch in school that is disgusted by reptiles, or a bully that just found a too good reason now, to bully . Or are some kids straight up afraid of them? There must be people that are still unsure if this is not the ““ alien’s” master plan to take over the world.” ( Although that won’t go peachy, cause you try and pick a fight with ninja turtles.) 

Donnie being the biggest weeb of cartoon history: That’s self explanatory, also I wanna see him on a BTS concert. ( Boy deserves it!😇)

Purple Dragons are a High School Tech club: I just fell in love with the concept in ROTTMNT and because it would fit nicely into the new series in my opinion. ( since I guess we're gonna be in school a lot.)

Loads and loads of  fighting in school:  The boys deserve an audience.😂 Also I wanna see how the principal is gonna react to turtles destroying the school.😱

New human friends: They are bound to have some since they are going to school, right?

[bluejaysandblackbats]

It Takes A Village

Fandom: YJ98, Flashfam, DC Comics

Summary: After witnessing Bart murder someone, his friends scramble to cover Bart's tracks and stumble upon an international scandal as a result.

(Minor background: Bart took a gap year, and Conner did two years of community college. This starts shortly after Bart's 19th birthday. So, Conner and Jenni are 20, Bart and Cissie are 19, Tim and Cassie are 18, I made Greta 17 for the sake of the fic, and Judy is 15. I decided to make Owen 22 and Thad 16 for plot reasons. Clark and Conner are brothers in this fic, and Clark is 12 years older for the sake of this fic, so he's 32.)

Chapters: 8/?

Characters: Bart Allen, Conner Kent, Judy Garrick, Jay Garrick, Joan Garrick, Cissie King-Jones, Cassie Sandsmark, Tim Drake, Greta Hayes, Jenni Ognats, Thad Thawne, Owen Mercer, Meloni Thawne, Clark Kent, Wally West, Linda Park, Courtney Whitmore, President Thawne

Relationship(s): KonBart, CissieCassie, WallyLinda

Additional Tags: Serial Killer AU, No Powers AU, Angst, Dark Comedy, Bart Allen Kills in This Fic, Minor Thad Thawne, Separated in Childhood, Some Smut in This

Chapter Eight: Reach The Surface

Bart woke up early and turned on his side to check his phone. He had a few more text messages on top of his ten unanswered ones. He went through, reading each one. 

ROY: checkign in. how’s it goin

HELEN: Bart, I want you to call me when you get some time. I’m worried about you.

TIM: What do you mean you’ve seen the Alabama White Thang???

JOAN: Are you okay, sweetheart? 

PRESTON: who is the mystery guy??? 

CAROL: As your friend, ily but what the hell is a protein freakshake??? Bart, I’ll kill you

JAY: Bart, what is tfw? Judy keeps sending me tfw’s but none of the pictures go together

CONNER: are you ok? do you want me to order you a pizza?

LINDA: Hey, bug. Just wanted you to know I love and miss you so much! Give me a call and lmk when I can kick your ass on MK

GRANDPA: Goodnight, Bart. I love you so so much. I had the loveliest conversation with your brother, Owen. He seems like a nice kid. 

CONNER: super worried about you, omw rn

JUDY: Mom’s a little worried about you. Everything ok?

TIM: Hey, do you mind if I come over next Thursday? 

THAD: Is it okay to text you?

Bart called Thad first. Thad answered immediately. “Good morning,” Thad answered. 

“Good morning��� Hey, are you okay? Everyone’s going kind of nuts, huh?” Bart asked. 

“Yeah… I’m okay, though. I didn’t know him. Is it strange to feel detached from it all?” Thad questioned in reply. Bart sat up and played with Conner’s hair, keeping him asleep.

“No… I get it. Do you know I love you?” Bart asked. 

“I—. I like to hear it. I love you, too… But um—. Why’d you call me this morning? Is something wrong?” Thad asked. Bart paused and tried to think of something to say. 

“In the observatory… Do you ever remember seeing cameras?” Bart asked in Interlac. 

“No… But I’m sure there were cameras. Did they make the lights pulse to change your mood?” Thad asked. Bart tried to think about it, but he didn’t remember anything like that. 

“No… I remember sometimes it used to be dark… They’d blindfold me and put these headphones over my ears and—. I think I—. I don’t remember how long they’d do that, but I remember they used to tell me how unsafe the other side of the door was… And they used to leave it cracked after. I used to beg them to shut the door,” Bart explained. Neither of them were emotional when discussing the observatory. Bart couldn’t even be moved to be angry at that moment. 

“Why are you thinking about the observatory? Did Grandpa Thawne—?” 

“No. He hasn’t sent anyone to bring us back. You don’t have to worry about that anymore. Okay? I—. I’m not gonna let anyone take you away ever again. Okay?” Bart reassured him. His heart pumped, almost frightening him. He felt so alive and so intensely passionate about everything. “And you can text me anytime you want. I want you to visit me as soon as you can. You can sleep in my room. I’ll give you a tour of the school. Okay?” 

“Okay,” Thad answered, “Aunt Helen wants to speak to you.” 

“Okay. Give Aunt Helen the phone,” Bart gently commanded. 

“Bart, are you alright? I called you twice last night—.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t feel well, so I went to sleep… And when I woke up, Conner was on his way over, so I didn’t have a lot of time to—.” Bart took a breath. “I’m okay now. You don’t have to worry about me, Helen.” 

“Don’t I, though? Bart, I always worry about you. I worry because I love you,” Helen replied. 

“I appreciate it… But I promise I’m fine. I’m not upset at all,” Bart answered honestly, “Actually, I’m doing really well.” Conner stirred beside him, smiling into Bart’s leg. 

“You’ll call me if things start getting bad… Won’t you?” Helen asked. 

Bart made a soft noise. “Sure, Helen,” Bart replied. A lie. “Hey, I’ve gotta go.” 

“Okay… Be good,” Helen half-joked. 

“I’ll try,” Bart answered before hanging up. “Good morning, sleepyhead.” Bart set his phone aside and rubbed Conner’s back. Conner hummed sweetly. 

“Good morning,” Conner smiled, “Do you wanna brush your teeth with me?” 

Bart chuckled and nodded. “Do you need a toothbrush?” Bart asked. Conner nodded. 

**

After they brushed their teeth, Bart and Conner crept back to Bart’s room. “You’re in a good mood,” Conner whispered as Bart shut the curtains. He gave Conner one of his wireless earbuds and he wore the other one. Bart climbed up the foot of the bed, kissing his way up Conner’s legs until he kissed the front of Conner’s shorts. Conner instinctively lifted his knee, and Bart patted his leg. “Come up here… I wanted to try something, but I’m not sure if you’d be—.”

Bart sat cross legged. “What is it?” Bart asked. 

“Well… I kind of—. It’s a weird mixture of kinks, but I—.” 

“Conner, I’m not gonna laugh at you. I promise,” Bart replied.

“You know how I kind of like you to get a little rough? Well, I wanted to see how that worked with a little praise,” Conner explained while he wrung his hands. Bart sat on Conner’s lap and kissed Conner, parting his lips as his fingers caught in Conner’s curls. Bart pulled back, half out of breath, grinning with an open mouth. 

“If you wanted me to tell you how good you were, all you had to do was ask. I could go on and on about you for hours,” Bart whispered.

“Oh, really? Name one thing you like about me,” Conner teased. 

Bart gave Conner’s hair a little tug, and he felt Conner’s hard-on twitch beneath him. Bart bored down, grinding into it. Then, he leaned in for a kiss only to yank his hair a little harder. Conner moaned and in a panic, he held a finger to Bart’s lips. “I like the way you can’t help but moan when I pull your hair. I think about that a lot. And I think about those pretty lips of yours so much I see them in my dreams,” Bart whispered as he thumbed Conner’s bottom lip. Conner advanced forward for a kiss, and Bart backed away, giggling as he teased him. He climbed off of Conner’s lap and dropped his shorts while he looked for a towel and a condom. Stroking his dick with one hand as he scratched his head with the other. 

“What are you looking for?” Conner asked. 

“A rubber,” Bart answered as he grabbed a towel. Conner looked in the bedside drawer and pulled out a box of condoms and a bottle of cooling lubricant. Bart smiled looking at Conner bent over as he dug through the drawer. He climbed on the bed, creeping closer and closer until he was close enough to slap him on the ass. Conner jumped, and Bart pulled him back on the bed. Bart fell into a fit of laughter. “Boing!” 

“You’re so stupid,” Conner laughed as he lay in Bart’s lap. 

“I want you so bad,” Bart replied. Conner leaned forward to get the lube and condoms before Bart wrapped an arm around his waist, gently humping him, rubbing his dick against the thin fabric of Conner’s boxers. 

“You’re gonna chafe,” Conner giggled. Bart kissed the back of Conner’s neck, almost growling in his ear. 

“You better take your pants down then,” Bart whispered. Conner’s face went flush, and he clutched the front of his shorts. He took a breath and gave Bart the lube and condom from his drawer. “Is this too much?” 

“No,” Conner answered as he pulled his boxers down in the back. Bart took a pillow and threw the towel over it. 

“Are you comfortable like this?” Bart asked. He softened in his demeanor for a moment as he felt along the line of Conner’s right thigh. 

“I’m good,” Conner answered. Bart gave him a comforting pat on the ass as he slipped the condom on and rubbed his dick up and down against Conner’s hole. He jumped when Bart squirted the cooling lube on his ass. “Oh, fuck.”

“Is it too cold?” Bart asked as he slipped the tip in. Conner shook his head, cocking it as he felt it cool his insides. 

“No, I think I like it,” Conner replied. Bart pushed in all the way and stayed in place for a moment, giving Conner a  moment to get accustomed to the feeling. “Oh.” One pump. Slow and gentle. Two… Three. A little faster. The faster the thrusts the more noise Conner made. 

Bart slowed down and pulled Conner’s hair before leaning down to whisper, “You’re gonna wake Cassie and Cissie.” Conner bit his lip as Bart pulled out. 

“Why’d you—?”

Bart patted his back. “I wanna look at you,” Bart whispered.

**

Conner lay on his stomach while Bart lay beside him, rubbing the raven-haired boy’s back. “Are you comfortable?” Bart asked. Conner threw an arm over Bart’s lap. 

“Mhm,” Conner hummed. Bart took a sip of water and nudged Conner to offer him a drink. “No, thanks. I’m good here.”

Bart had so much energy, but he didn’t know what to do with it once Conner settled in. He tossed and turned so much that Conner had to touch his arm. “Hey… Do you wanna kiss for a little bit?” Conner asked. Bart nodded. “You’re so cute. Come here.” 

Bart leaned close, and Conner turned on his side, offering a few lazy kisses. His lips never completely parted with Bart’s in between kisses, but it was enough to keep Bart in a perfectly serene state of mind. “I love you,” Bart whispered, “God, I love you so much.” Conner shushed him.

“I love you too, but we’ve gotta take a breather,” Conner explained. He parted Bart’s bangs with his finger. “Let’s just kiss… Okay?” Bart looked into Conner’s eyes and nodded. They leaned in for another kiss before they were interrupted. 

“Cissie wants to know if—. Jesus Christ!” Cassie screamed before turning her back. 

Conner pulled the blanket over both of them and laughed into Bart’s shoulder out of embarrassment. “Get out! Get the hell out of here!” Bart shouted in Interlac. Cassie stepped outside and shut the door. He nearly jumped out of bed Conner’s smile faded, and he patted Bart’s chest, bringing him back to the present. 

“Hey, she didn’t mean anything by it,” Conner whispered as he kissed Bart’s neck. “It’s alright.” Bart leaned forward and shut his eyes. “Bart?” 

His hands shook as he struggled to distinguish between the past and present. He couldn’t stop thinking about the pictures in the file. Everyone must’ve seen it. The reality of being constantly monitored for twelve years weighed on him. “I’m sorry… I should go apologize,” Bart whispered. Conner grabbed his arm. 

“Let’s talk first. That was scary… What happened?” Conner asked. 

Bart chewed his lip. “I don’t know if I can tell you right now… But I—.” 

“Bart, if it’s something you don’t want anyone to know—. I won’t tell. It’ll be between us two. I just—. Bart, I want to know what that was about… Because that seemed like it came from somewhere else. I think it’s worth talking about,” Conner whispered. Bart nodded. 

“Not now… But we’ll talk soon. I promise,” Bart replied as he climbed out of bed and dug through his closet. He grabbed a pair of overalls and tossed them on the foot of the bed before slipping a pair of boxers on. 

“Where are you going?” Conner asked. 

“I’m gonna apologize,” Bart replied, “And then I’ll take a shower… If you want to come.”

“Okay… I’ll be there in a minute,” Conner answered, “Bart… Are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” Bart lied with a smile on his face as he put his pajamas on and carried his clothes out of the room with him. 

“Hey, Cassie? I—. I shouldn’t have yelled,” Bart replied, “I was more embarrassed than anything. I’m sorry.” Cassie couldn’t look him in the eye. 

“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have flipped out like—. How long has that been going on?” Cassie asked. 

“Not long… What were you asking?” Bart questioned, quickly changing the subject. 

“Oh, we’re going to the beach. Do you wanna come?” Cassie asked. Bart smiled and nodded. 

“Yeah… I’d love to. I’ll ask Conner in a—.” 

Conner came out of the room, holding his clothes. “I packed swim trunks. Are you gonna get in the water this time, Bart?” Conner asked, draping an arm over Bart’s shoulder. 

**

Conner took Bart’s hand and led him toward the water, and Bart’s mind drifted to the boat. So much sky. So much open space. Open water. Iris had to hold him down, wrapping her arms and legs around him to keep him safe and still. He would’ve done anything that night to return to the observatory. Bart dug his heels into the sand, and Conner stopped, nudging Bart’s face with his nose. “What’s the matter?” Conner asked. 

“Sorry, I got distracted,” Bart replied. 

“Do you not know how to swim?” Conner questioned. 

Last summer. Bart stepped into the lake by the Kent farm and—. He dragged himself out of the water, crawling most of the way to the Kents’ property and limping toward the house until he got to Conner’s window. Conner wasn’t dressed. It started coming back, slowly focusing like a camera lens, capturing the moment. Conner was naked when he pulled Bart into the window. Why was Conner naked? Bart mumbled something. He kept mumbling something, and Conner couldn’t hear him. He wanted Conner to hear him. What was it? Why couldn’t he remember? “Why were you naked last summer when I came to your house?” Bart asked. 

“What?” Conner questioned. He wasn’t angry or upset at the question, but it gave him pause. Conner turned to look at Cassie and Cissie, who were preoccupied, and he placed a gentle hand on Bart’s cheek. 

“I limped to the window… I knocked… And you were naked. Why were you naked?” Bart asked. His voice felt a million miles away while he held onto the fragment of a memory. 

“I was asleep… It was hot that night, and I didn’t expect you. You were visiting your grandparents and—. What’s wrong? Do you wanna walk and talk about it?” Conner asked. Bart nodded. “You were super upset, and you were mumbling nonsense. I helped you inside through my window, and you—. You said you wanted me to come with you, but you wouldn’t tell me where, and you didn’t move. I figured you were drunk.”

Conner kissed Bart’s forehead, but Bart was a million miles away. Bart was present mentally, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how good it felt to watch Jacob die. It did something to him. It gave Bart a feeling that he couldn’t attain with drugs or alcohol. Something about it excited Bart. It wasn’t everything, but it was a start. He checked back in, realizing Conner was still speaking, and he grabbed his face, cradling his cheeks in soft palms. “I want you,” Bart whispered. 

Conner touched foreheads with Bart, smiling at the lift in Bart’s mood. “Will you settle for a kiss right now?” Conner asked. Bart leaned in, parting his lips as Conner caught him, pulling him in close. He brushed Conner’s cheek with his thumb as he pulled back for air, his tongue reaching out to meet Conner’s open mouth. Conner stopped, pulling back when he heard Cassie and Cissie hooting and wolf whistling at them. He reached behind Bart’s head, giving him a sweet scratch. “You okay?” 

“I’m alright. Thanks for coming this weekend… And I know I’ve been weird, but I promise it’ll get better,” Bart reassured him. Conner smiled. 

“You can be as weird as you want… As long as you’re happy,” Conner replied, “Come on, let’s get ice cream.” 

“I thought you wanted to go swimming?” Bart teased. 

** 

Conner took a nap on the couch while Bart cooked dinner and called his grandparents. Iris answered first. “Hi, Bart. Are you alright?” Iris asked. “I’m sorry I called Conner, but I figured he’d be able to get you to talk.”

“Grandma, I’m okay. I called Thad this morning. Speaking of Thad… Have you talked to him lately? He wants to hear your voice… I know he does,” Bart whispered. 

“I know… I’m about to hop on a plane to see him right now. That’s what I wanted to tell you,” Iris replied. 

“You are?” Bart questioned. 

“Yes. And you won’t tell him, young man. I’m trying to surprise him. I know I missed his birthday, so I’m taking your grandpa to Manchester to surprise him. Your grandpa’s so excited. He didn’t get any sleep last night. We’ve been planning this for months—.”

“Iris, look! I got you a giant pretzel,” Barry exclaimed on the other line. 

“Honey, do you want to talk to Bart while I eat the giant pretzel?” Iris laughed. 

Bart sliced some fresh oranges while he waited for Barry to take the phone. “Hi, Bart! How are we doing today?” Barry asked. We. Bart always found it funny when Barry said we for one person. 

“I’m good… I’m making ribeye for dinner. Conner’s visiting,” Bart replied, “I heard you’re visiting Thad. Give him a hug for me. Okay?” 

“I will. Wish I was there for some ribeye, though. That sounds good right about now. What are you making on the side?” Barry asked. 

“Salad… And roasted potatoes. Potatoes are in the oven, but I’m about to put the ribeye in right now,” Bart replied. Something spoke over the loudspeaker on the other line. 

“Sorry, we couldn’t chat longer. We gotta go. We love you so much,” Barry replied. 

“Love you, Grandpa. Tell Grandma I lover her, too. Have a safe flight,” Bart smiled as he hung up. Cissie joined Bart in the kitchen and smiled at the spread. 

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Cissie asked. 

“Clean my room… Eat chives. Control how stupid I sound when I talk to Conner,” Bart listed off. Cissie smiled at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Conner and me… I just—. I wanted some time to enjoy it. It wasn’t a secret, I just—. I can’t explain it. I just know I’ve wanted this forever,” Bart whispered. Cissie looked up into his eyes. 

“You don’t owe me an explanation. Besides, I kind of thought something was going on,” Cissie replied, “I’m happy that you’re in love. You’re one of my favorite people in the whole world, and I think you guys are good for each other.” 

[reading-writing-revolution]

It’s getting really bad folks! Republican Anarchy is becoming increasingly common across America! (Anarchy) a state of society without government or law. It needs to be stopped! Here are some examples of their handy work. The Republican governor of Texas, Gregory Wayne Abbott, is defying both federal law and international treaties, constructing a barrier of inflatable buoys and razor wire in the Rio Grande between the U.S. and Mexico which violates the Rivers and Harbors Act. The DOJ told Abbott he has until 2:00 Tuesday afternoon to remove the barrier. Abbott responded to the DOJ’s letter: “I’ll see you in court, Mr. President.”  On July 11, 2023, Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to chair of the Committee on Appropriations Kay Granger (R-TX) asking her to defund Biden’s immigration policies as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which investigates crime. Defying the SCOTUS, the Alabama legislature passed a new congressional map that openly violates the Supreme Court’s order. By a vote of 75–28 in the House and 24–6 in the Senate, the legislature approved a map that includes only one Black-majority district.  After rampant scandals, the Republican-dominated Supreme Court refuses to adopt an ethics system that might restore some confidence in their decisions. The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act would bring the Supreme Court Justices’ ethics requirement in line with every other federal judge and restore confidence in the Court. Senator Lindsey Olin Graham R-SC, disagreed that Congress could force the Supreme Court to adopt an ethics code. And, aided by his loyalists, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is threatening mob violence if he is held legally accountable for his behavior.  Trump said earlier this week: “I think it’s a very dangerous thing to even talk about, because we do have a tremendously passionate group of voters, much more passion than they had in 2020 and much more passion than they had in 2016. I think it would be very dangerous.”

(1) Let the final battle begin - Robert Reich

[noreligionisgood]

In 2022, a coalition of right-wing writers and leaders published a document called “National Conservatism: A Statement of Principles.” Its section on God and public religion states: “Where a Christian majority exists, public life should be rooted in Christianity and its moral vision, which should be honored by the state and other institutions both public and private.” That’s an extraordinary — and ominous — ideological statement, one that would immediately relegate non-Christians to second-class status. It’s utterly contrary to the First Amendment and would impose a form of compelled deference to Christianity on both religious minorities and the nonreligious.

But Christian nationalism isn’t just rooted in ideology; it’s also deeply rooted in identity, the belief that Christians should rule. This is the heart of the Seven Mountain Mandate, a dominionist movement emerging from American Pentecostalism that is, put bluntly, Christian identity politics on steroids. Paula White, Donald Trump’s closest spiritual adviser, is an adherent, and so is the chief justice of Alabama, Tom Parker, who wrote a concurring opinion in the court’s recent I.V.F. decision. The movement holds that Christians are called to rule seven key societal institutions: the family, the church, education, the media, the arts, business and the government.

One doesn’t have to go all the way into Seven Mountain theology, though, to find examples of Christian identity politics. The use of Christianity as an unofficial but necessary qualification for office is a routine part of politics in the most churchgoing parts of America. Moreover, one of the common red-America arguments for Trump is that he might not be devout himself but he’ll place lots of Christians in government.

But what is Christian identity politics but another form of Christian supremacy? How does Christian identity alone make any person a better candidate for office? After all, many of the worst actors in American politics are professed believers. Scandal and corruption are so pervasive in the church that when people say, “I’m a Christian,” it tells me almost nothing about their wisdom or virtue.

Finally, we can’t forget the intense emotion of Christian nationalism. Most believers don’t follow ideological and theological arguments particularly closely. In the words of the historian Thomas Kidd, “Actual Christian nationalism is more a visceral reaction than a rationally chosen stance.” It is tied, in other words, to a visceral sense that the fate of the church is closely tied to the outcome of any given political race.

That fervor can make believers gullible and potentially even dangerous. Its good-versus-evil dynamic can make Christians believe that their political opponents are capable of anything, including stealing an election. It artificially raises the stakes of elections to the point where a loss becomes an unthinkable catastrophe, with the fates of both church and state hanging in the balance. As we saw on Jan. 6, 2021, this belief invites violent action.

Committed Christian nationalists represent only 10 percent of the population, according to a 2023 PRRI/Brookings Christian Nationalism Survey. But even members of a minority that small can gain outsize power when they fold themselves into the larger Christian electorate, casting themselves as “just like you.” That’s why we cannot conflate Christian activism with Christian nationalism. One can welcome Christian participation in the public square while resisting domination, from any faith or creed

[fearsomeandwretched]

I despise Kaitlin Collins. She's from my state and went to the university of Alabama. The sorority she was in has had several scandals bc of people saying the n word. Like it has happened publicly multiple times across the span of years

[tomorrowusa]

RFK Jr. is taking the side of Confederate statue worshipers. He really doesn't like the removal of monuments to a treasonous and pro-slavery entity called the Confederate States of America.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. denounced the removal of hundreds of Confederate statues and other monuments across the United States after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. In a podcast interview that aired live on Friday from the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, Mr. Kennedy, an independent candidate for president, portrayed the removal of statues honoring the Confederacy as “destroying history,” echoing similar comments made by former President Donald J. Trump in support of the monuments. [ ... ] Statues and other monuments glorifying the Confederacy were erected — most at the height of the Jim Crow era — as part of a movement to advance the Lost Cause myth, which in various iterations depicted the Confederacy’s rebellion as a noble defense of Southern values or falsely asserted that the Civil War was fought over “states’ rights,” not slavery. Many of the monuments also distort history by portraying Black Americans as loyal to white Southerners in their enslavement.

This puts RFK Jr. on the same side as Donald Trump.

Trump equated their removal to “changing history” when he defended some participants of a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, who had gathered to protect the statue of Lee that was later removed. Mr. Trump later resisted efforts to rename nine southern Army bases that had been named for treasonous Confederate generals who fought against the U.S. Army.

President Biden has taken the opposite view, saying that such monuments have no place in 21st century America. Biden is the only candidate who stands against traitorous racists.

As a candidate in 2020, President Biden supported the removal of Confederate statues, as well as the renaming of the Army bases, which was ultimately carried out during his administration.

By coincidence, today (May 29th) is the birthday of the late President John F. Kennedy. JFK would be ashamed of his idiotic anti-vax, pro-Confederate nephew.

In 1963 President Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard to assist in the integration of the University of Alabama – the last segregated state university in the US. Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace physically stood in the door to block two black students but gave way when confronted by the federalized National Guard.

That evening, on 11 June 1963, the president addressed the country on the topic of civil rights. Here is how historians now view the events surrounding that day.

Gov. Wallace went on to run as a third party candidate in the 1968 presidential election. Of course he didn't win but his presence in the election helped to elect Richard Nixon who gave the US the Watergate scandal and the invasion of Cambodia.

RFK Jr. is a lot more in the tradition of George Wallace than John F. Kennedy. Don't be fooled by RFK Jr.'s family name; most of his siblings and cousins have denounced him and declared their support for the Biden-Harris ticket in 2024.

[orrsoared]

I’m about to go on a college football rant - because how is it Alabama’s fault that FSU isn’t in the playoffs? Why is no one mad that Michigan is in the playoffs - I mean they were literally involved in a cheating scandal a month ago 💀

(I’ll admit that I’m 100% biased because I am an Alabama fan. I’m also a diehard Michigan hater. Nevertheless, I think FSU was robbed but not by Alabama. You should be mad at the losers on the committee.)

[nodynasty4us]

Trump supporters are more like college football fans than traditional voters who vote for the candidates who most align with them. College football fans are fanatic about their teams—they don't care (too much) whether their team wins or loses. If they have a bad season, the fans just push harder the next year. They don't care if the coach or star running back are caught up in a scandal. They don't care who is starting or not. They are going to be fans of that team no matter what. Trying to convince a USC fan to switch their allegiance to UCLA, or a Michigan fan to become a Michigan State fan, or an Alabama fan to switch to... any other team is just impossible. Listen to how Trump supporters talk about his scandals or indictments—they just don't care, or they see him as a victim (the referees in that game were terrible!). This is how college football fans talk about their teams.

J.S. in Bellevue, WA  in Electoral-vote.com