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Chavez the Hugo 2020
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AoSHQ Writers Group
A site for members of the Horde to post their stories seeking beta readers, editing help, brainstorming, and story ideas. Also to share links to potential publishing outlets, writing help sites, and videos posting tips to get published.
Contact OrangeEnt for info: maildrop62 at proton dot me
"No Kings" Rally More Like "No Thanks" Rally Am I Rite
—Ace
The notorious literal cuck George Conway
identifies himself as antifa. Everyone should refer to him
exclusively as "Antifa's George Conway."
It's an admission that will hold up in court.
That cuck twink, who Greg Gutfeld suggested had lost weight due to Ozempic, grabbed a megaphone and made a sad spectacle of himself.
Bernie Sanders, Chris Murphy To Headline 'No Kings' Rally With Activist Who Defended Hamas Attack, Cheered Trump Assassination Attempt
Afeni Evans frequently denigrates 'Amerikkka' and expressed her desire for 'the west' to 'fall'
Chuck Ross
October 17, 2025
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) passionately defended the anti-Trump No Kings rally in Washington, D.C., this weekend against allegations that it will attract Hamas sympathizers and other far-left radicals. But one of the senators' fellow speakers has praised Hamas's "resistance" against Israel, cheered the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, referred to conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a "bitch" after his assassination last month, and expressed her desire for "the west" to "fall."
Sanders pushed back earlier this week against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), who predicted that "Hamas supporters," "antifa types," and "Marxists" will be prevalent at the event. In a video posted to X, Sanders said No Kings is "not a 'hate America' rally."
"Quite the contrary; it is a love America rally," said Sanders.
Murphy echoed those remarks, calling Johnson's sentiments "ridiculous, un-American, and unpatriotic" and said the Republican must "hate free speech."
But Sanders and Murphy, billed as the headline speakers of the No Kings event, will appear on the same stage as Afeni Evans, a Washington, D.C.-based activist who embraces many of the causes Johnson identified.
Organizers list Murphy and Evans as among the star speakers at Saturday's "No Kings" protest in Washington, D.C.
Evans, who No Kings organizers list as an "impacted activist" over her arrest in August for evading subway fare, has condoned or downplayed various acts of political violence. She mocked calls for sympathy for Kirk, whose alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, embraced leftist politics and pro-LGBT causes.
"So if you want me to feel bad for that bitch, I can't. I won't. I can't," said Evans, an avowed member of the LGBT community.
She's expressed support for the attempt on Trump's life and lamented that the shooter missed.
"While we all may celebrate and make jokes about this moment, be very careful about what you put on the internet," she said in an Instagram video on the day of the Trump shooting. "We live in the most fascistic country in the fucking world."
"Missing is nasty work tho," she wrote on the post.
She often attacks Israel, which she refers to as "the imaginary state," while defending Hamas's invasion of the Jewish state on Oct. 7, 2023, as a justifiable act of resistance.
In a video on Oct. 7, 2024, the one-year anniversary of the attack, Evans said "occupied people have a right to self defense." In a video the next day, she called the Hamas attack an act of "resistance," while also mocking Trump's injury in the assassination attempt as a "little ear piercing."
Propagandists for the Soros-funded rally claim that "millions" showed up, but we see in the biggest cities only 4-5,000 people showed up, and in smaller cities like Iowa City, the number was in the low hundreds.
Gunther Eagleman
@GuntherEagleman
7h
JUST ANNOUNCED: Approximately a combined 650,000 people attended a no kings rally nationwide.
During a live Newsmax broadcast from the National Mall, correspondent Alana Austin found herself face to face with exactly the kind of protester too stupid to realize they've said too much. The woman, sporting pink hair and clutching signs with Antifa imagery, identified herself as an "anti-fascist" but swore she wasn't formally part of "Antifa." Sure.
What came next was the real kicker. When Austin asked about the protest's peaceful vibe, the woman didn't hesitate. "We've all been told to be peaceful," she explained matter-of-factly. "We've had training on how to be peaceful and to deescalate."
Training.
As in organized, structured instruction on how to behave at a protest.
Austin didn't get the chance to follow up on who exactly provided this training or which organization bankrolled it, but the admission alone punctures the myth that these movements are leaderless and organic. When the protester was asked to show her Antifa-marked sign more clearly, she refused. Funny how that works.
Organizers included members of the Democratic Socialists of America and an assortment of other left-wing activist groups. And that's what really gets me about it--the structured coordination lurking beneath it. The protester's casual mention of training contradicts activists' favorite talking points that the people are "rising up" against Trump. If you're being paid and trained to be a protester, you're not a protester, you're a contractor.
That said, the good thing about this is that they were trained to be peaceful. It's a pleasant change from the rioting, violence, and destruction that we've grown used to from anything associated with Antifa. I guess some highly-paid PR consultant told them that violence is a bad look, and they must have gotten the message.
What people are noticing beyond the sparse attendance is how old the attendees are. I wouldn't crack on anyone for being old, now that I'm joining their ranks, but it's hard to not notice that the "Party of Youth" now has an average age of around 65.
Even an NBC "reporter" admitted the truth: There weren't many people attending the rally, and there was a "lot of white hair." The "Reporter" referred to the white-haired oldsters as "Q-tips."
Then NBC deleted the video. This guy put up a new copy:
Some progressives are praising the "old white people" who showed up for their stupid protests.
Another thing people are noticing: At multiple venues, at 1pm exactly, the "protesters" went home, almost as if they had only been paid to protest for three hours.
BREAKING - At exactly 1 PM, all of the “No Kings” protesters in Times Square immediately dispersed.
A protester at Saturday's "No Kings" rally in Seattle was recorded telling a reporter he apparently wanted to kill White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Dozens of protests against President Donald Trump and his administration's policies took place Oct. 18 nationwide. Journalist Brandi Kruse posted the video of the protester being interviewed while holding a sign which read, "Would You Like To Kill Nazis [With] Me?"
"Who are you gonna kill?" Kruse asked in the video. "Nazis," the man responded.
"Who do you define as a Nazi?" the reporter followed up, to which the man asked, "What do you mean?"
...
"In this context, who is a Nazi?" Kruse asked. "Stephen Miller is a Nazi," the protestor responded.
"You're going to kill Stephen Miller," the reporter repeated, apparently stunned, before the protester replied, "If I had the chance, yeah, I would."
Kruse later reported the FBI was investigating the man's threats. Kruse also posted a video showing another protester who said killing Miller would be "justifiable."
Axios isn't covering that, but they are very very angry that Trump posted a silly meme about bombing the rally with poop:
🚨 OMG...the President of the United States just posted himself piloting a fighter jet with "KING TRUMP" on the side and dumping mud all over Harry Sisson and No Kings protestors
Driving the news: Trump's apparent response to the demonstrations was a fake video of himself dumping what appeared to be fecal matter or mud on protesters marching through city streets as Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" plays in the background.
The watermark on the video attributed it to another account, "@XERIAS_X." The profile photo of an X account with the same name appears to display Pepe the Frog dressed as Trump.
Just after, the president reshared a fake video previously posted by Vice President Vance of Trump placing a crown on his own head and hoisting a sword while people who appeared to be prominent Democratic lawmakers bowed.
The official White House account also shared a post of Trump and Vance wearing crowns and of Democratic leaders Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wearing sombreros (the president has recently shared several fake photos of his opponents donning sombreros during the shutdown, a dig that Latino rights groups have said amplifies hateful stereotypes).
Context: It doesn't stop with sombreros and suspect brown substances falling from the sky. Trump and his administration's official government pages regularly troll with seemingly AI-generated posts online.
And it's also not the first time the White House, despite Trump saying he's "not a king," has shared an image of the president in royal regalia.
The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request to explain the president's post.
Axios also cites, WITHOUT EVIDENCE, the protest's organizers's claim of 7 million in attendance.
JUST IN: 'TeamTrump' trolls the 'No Kings' protests on Instagram by sharing an AI video of President Trump dressed like a king in front of the White House with Andrea Bocelli music playing.
Trump & Rubio Prevent UN’s Global Climate Tax on Shipping; “Principled Free Traders” Are Mute About Stopping this Tax on Consumers
—Buck Throckmorton
Much gratitude to President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for once again putting Americans first, and for also striking another huge blow against the climate hoax and the global “net zero” agenda.
Trump and Rubio not only refused American participation in a proposed “global emissions tax” on shipping that was being pushed by the UN and all the usual globalists, but Trump and Rubio also prevented the proposed tax from being implemented altogether. Team America made it explicitly clear that if the “international community” was going to compel Americans to pay tithes and offeringscarbon taxes in service to the apocalyptic climate religion, then the U.S. would impose harsh penalties on those countries voting against us. The international community backed down. As Steve Milloy tweeted about this, “Better than merely not signing a UN climate treaty is punishing countries that do sign. Thank you, President Trump.”
The proposed emissions tax would have increased shipping costs by as much as 10% according to the Trump administration. That is equivalent to a 10% tariff on all goods shipped by ocean carrier.
It’s also noteworthy that the “principled free traders” who incessantly criticize Donald Trump’s America-first tariffs as being a “tax on consumers” are curiously silent about Trump’s success in preventing this global carbon tax from being imposed on shipping. The proposed tax would have been a clear-cut tax on consumers. But as I type this piece on October 19th, I don’t see a single story in National Review crediting President Trump for killing this tax, nor do I see any tweets from the “free traders” I often highlight who incessantly go on Twitter/X to denounce Donald Trump’s tariffs as being a “tax on consumers.” It’s almost as if they are simply America-last globalists who reflexively oppose Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. Therefore, when their friends in the “international community” want to impose a tax that hurts Americans, these anti-tariff “free traders” stand down due to their hatred of Trump and his voters.
Or perhaps, they’re actually being consistent. The proposed emissions tax would also be the equivalent of imposing a 10% tariff on U.S. exports. The unilateral free traders who oppose Trump’s import tariffs have always made it clear that they are supportive of foreign trade barriers and tariffs being imposed on U.S. exports, because that helps put Americans out of work in service to offshoring American manufacturing. This emissions tax would have hurt American exports in the same way.
A global tax on shipping emissions won’t take effect after pressure from the Trump administration to abandon the climate activist-fueled proposal.
“This is another HUGE win for [Trump],” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “Thanks to his leadership, the United States prevented a massive UN tax hike on American consumers that would have funded progressive climate pet projects. Our country will continue to lead the way and put America FIRST.”
Last week, the Trump administration warned that the tax could increase shipping costs by up to 10% and said that it was considering a number of retaliatory actions for countries that support the measure. These actions included investigating countries pursuing anti-competitive practices, imposing visa restrictions and increasing processing fees, and placing additional port fees and commercial penalties.
Donald Trump correctly called the proposed tax on shipping emissions a “green scam” while threatening retaliatory tariffs on those countries who would try to impose this tax on us:
A landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions has been abandoned after Saudi Arabia and the US succeeded in ending the talks.
More than 100 countries had gathered in London to approve a deal first agreed in April, which would have seen shipping become the world's first industry to adopt internationally mandated targets to reduce emissions.
But US President Donald Trump had called the plan a "green scam" and representatives of his administration had threatened countries with tariffs if they voted in favour of it.
The French National Police refuse to comment on the status of the famed Jewel-encrusted Dilde de Bone-Apart. If that was purloined, it would be a tragedy of historic proportions! Fess up CBD!!!
Americans rage against a “king” they can see, while bowing to ten million unseen dukes—bureaucrats, judges, and technocrats who rule every corner of daily life. . . For the fact is that Americans are governed by innumerable unelected bureaucrats, “human resource” meddlers at work, layers of administrative deflectors at school, incomprehensible protocols set by medical insurance companies and connived at by hospitals, the Internal Revenue Service, and now, slouching towards the United Nations to be born, what threatens to be a worldwide public health super-government, grinding to indiscriminate dust every last feature of an independent local human life. . . . . It’s easy to oppose Donald Trump, because he’s visible, all too visible, and he invites the outrage. But let’s be honest. In a healthy society, there would be no superhighways from the national capital directly into your living room or into your child’s brain. Of the 365 days of the year, you might spend two or three of them grouching about the president, not because you belonged or did not belong to his party, but because most of human life would be quite separate from the whole monstrous thing we take for granted as the national government. We don’t want a king, but we’ll take ten million dukes instead? “Here, peasant, sign this petition against kings, and be quick about it,” says the duke’s flunky. “If you value your freedom, you’d better do it.”
The irony here is that President Trump's legacy, if successful Please God, will be to denude as much of the ill-gotten power of an all too powerful and corrupt tyrannical bureaucracy and return as much of it it not all of it back to where it was intended to be by our Founders, with the people.
Yeah, I seem to remember that popular Leftist chant from the 60s "Power to the People," Right on! Except for Democrat/Leftists, they mean Their people and only their people.
Funny how quickly the Dems seem to forget that their hero/demigod FDR by executive order set up actual concentration camps where thousands of Americans of Japanese were forced to live during World War 2 because they were considered potential if not actual enemies. And yet George Takei (Tacky-Eye) uses it to rip America and Americans in general whenever he has the opportunity while omitting the context as well as the salient and crucial fact of who and which party was responsible. But Donald Trump is literally Hitler? And now a "King?"
If Trump were a King wouldn't he have shut down the national mall and called out the Guard in every city to arrest if not order them to OPEN FIRE on the protesters?
In a suspected cyberattack, a shadowy hacking collective has reportedly published the personal information of hundreds of U.S. federal employees, including agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the FBI.
Considering the growing number of violent assaults on police and federal officers for merely doing their jobs in rounding up criminals and illegal aliens, whoever did this is counting on individuals to use this information to target police, since after all if Trump is Hitler, then the police, ICE and National Guard are the equivalent of the Nazi SS and Einsatzgruppen and so gunning them and/or their families down is a blessed act of resistance to tyranny.
Oh to be able to go back in time to prevent America's original transexual Democrat terrorist John Wilkes Booth from assassinating Lincoln and then convincing Honest Abe to wield the terrible swift sword of justice to utterly destroy the remnants of the Democrat Party from ever rising again. Then a quick trip to Russia put two behind the ears of Marx and Engels.
Who or What Will Finally End Hamas? Hamas is an irredeemable terrorist cartel that subverts Gaza, uses civilians as shields, and must be dismantled and barred from power before any genuine peace can begin.
The problem, sir, is not Hamas. The problem is ISLAM. Blaming Hamas for what happened on 10/7 is like blaming guns for school shootings.
President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff — the pair largely responsible for Trump’s Israel-Hamas peace deal — provided rare insight into how the administration is trying to disarm the terror group and re-establish secure leadership in war-torn Gaza. Kushner and Witkoff explained how they brokered the 20-point deal and what the next steps are on the Sunday episode of “60 Minutes” ahead of their trip to Israel on Monday.Kushner warned that they expect Hamas to “try to reconstitute and take back their positions” within the power vacuum. “The success or failure of this will be if Israel and this international mechanism is able to create a viable alternative. If they are successful, Hamas will fail, and Gaza will not be a threat to Israel in the future,” Kushner said.
Dr Hagai Ben-Artzi is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s brother-in-law. And he is deeply critical of the deal Netanyahu has agreed to with Hamas, believing that the exchange of nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners, 250 of whom are convicted murderers serving life sentences, for 20 Israeli hostages, will only lead in the future to hundreds or thousands of Israeli victims of those prisoners being freed today. More on Ben-Artzi’s scathing remarks can be found here: “Dr. Hagai Ben-Artzi: We are signing off on the next massacre and kidnappings,” by Uzi Baruch, Israel National News, October 9, 2025:
I hope Bibi's in-law is wrong but that is for sure hope over experience in a sea of blood spilled over centuries.
Have a good day!
And lastly, a quick shout-out and thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.
Americans rage against a “king” they can see, while bowing to ten million unseen dukes—bureaucrats, judges, and technocrats who rule every corner of daily life. Ten Million Dukes
Roger Kimball: Trump’s decisive 2024 victory exposed the irony of the left’s “No Kings” protests—an anti-democracy tantrum against the most democratic act of all: an election. The ‘No Kings’ Protests Against Democracy Itself
Thad McCotter: True tolerance—not agreement—defines America. We may differ fiercely, but our duty is to defend every citizen’s right to speak freely. After all, this is still America. (Must we tolerate those who openly call for the death of America as founded and the extermination of those who support her? - jjs) The American Republic Is the Last Bastion of True Tolerance
“There is kidnapping, and it’s a game, which will be a good one,” Al-Muhtadi said, according to FBI-reviewed phone calls. . . Al-Muhtadi faces charges of visa fraud and conspiring to support a foreign terrorist organization. FBI Catches Alleged October 7 Terrorist Living in U.S. on Visa.
Victor Davis Hanson: Hamas is an irredeemable terrorist cartel that subverts Gaza, uses civilians as shields, and must be dismantled and barred from power before any genuine peace can begin. (The problem isn't Hamas. The problem is ISLAM. Disappointed that even VDH won't see this - jjs) Who or What Will Finally End Hamas?
Hamas fired an anti-tank missile and gunshots at Israeli soldiers who were in the Israeli-controlled area as per the agreement. Israel posted about two soldiers killed in Gaza; it’s not clear if they were killed in this attack or a previous one. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it has resumed operations against terror targets in a necessary move for its own defense. Hamas Violates Ceasefire, Israel Hits Terror Targets
International Union for Conservation of Nature has placed the whale shark on its Red List of Threatened Species. The species is protected under Israeli law. Gazans Capture and Slaughter Endangered Whale Shark
In an appearance on The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali, Lemon openly called on “black individuals and brown individuals of all backgrounds” to “lawfully” get guns, framing it as preparation for potential encounters with ICE agents. According to Lemon, the situation is dire enough that minority Americans should be ready for when law enforcement comes to enforce immigration law. Don Lemon Is Trying to Get ICE Agents Killed
“We will continue to revoke the visas of those who put the safety of our citizens at risk.” – Tommy Pigott, State Department spokesman. . . The lawsuit challenges the limits of First Amendment protections for resident aliens and could set a precedent on government surveillance. Pro-Migrant Unions Sue Trump Admin Over Surveillance of Visa Holders on Social Media.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) struggled to respond after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trolled him on Saturday with a photo of a demonstrator in a giant penis costume at a “No Kings” protest. Gavin Newsom Fumes as DHS Trolls Him with ‘No Kings’ Penis Photo
Importantly, he doesn’t do so by abusing the Constitution or the law. He does it through his personality, which is powerful, adaptable, and tireless. Trump Pushes The Limits Of Presidential Power
The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) saw roughly 30 employees issued reduction-in-force (RIF) notices Oct. 10, effectively sidelining most of the agency’s staff, individuals familiar with the matter told the Daily Caller News Foundation. The cuts come as White House officials repeatedly warned that staffing reductions could occur if Democrats continue to refuse to reopen the government. Trump Admin Moves To Gut Office Promoting Gender Ideology And Abortions Amid Schumer Shutdown
Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” that Democrats’ move to shut down the government was a “mistake” because it gave him the authority to slash their pet projects without impunity. He’s got his eyes set on one multi-billion dollar project close to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s heart. Trump To Deliver Kill Shot To Schumer’s Billion Dollar Left-Wing Program In Push To End Shutdown Battle
This year’s Nobel Prize in Economics, awarded Monday, was shared by three economists for their contributions to economic growth theory, arguably the most important topic in economics. Big Government, Big Business, and the 2025 Nobel Prize
OFFICIAL DEMOCRAT PARTY/LEFTIST-ENDORSED ANTI-SEMITISM, ANTI-CHRISTIANITY
Israel’s victory on the battlefield has sparked a new war of ideas—one in which the Cultural Left blames not just Israel, but Jews themselves, for refusing to lose. Gaza, Israel, and Anti-Semitism
Charlie Kirk’s assassination exposes a nation adrift from its Christian roots—Texas must lead in restoring the Founders’ vision of faith, liberty, and moral order. The States Must Defend the American Church
WE-ALL-SLAM-FOR-I-SLAM
Democrat New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani appeared arm-in-arm Friday with a Muslim cleric linked to the architects of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and other terror plots. Prosecutors had named Imam Siraj Wahhaj — who previously called for an Islamic state in America — among dozens “who may be alleged to be co-conspirators” in the trial of several men convicted of planning a terrorism campaign which included the 1993 World Trade Center attack. The attack killed six people and injured more than 1,000 others. Socialist Mamdani Hits Campaign Trail At Terror-Linked Imam’s Mosque
FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES, CENSORSHIP, FAKE NEWS, MEDIA, BIG BROTHER TECH
Saturday’s No Kings rallies will be populated by several people who ordinary people, not just President Trump’s supporters, would find detestable. However, NBC correspondent Adrienne Broaddus made it her job on Saturday’s Today to ensure viewers would not be aware of them. Instead, she went to great lengths to portray Speaker Mike Johnson’s “hate-America rally” description as incorrect. NBC Does Damage Control For 'No Kings' By Covering Up Anti-American Speakers
It looks like Bolivia is done with socialism. For the first time since 2005, the country has officially elected a candidate who is not a part of Evo Morales' Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) party. This comes as Bolivia faces a serious economic crisis — something that seems to go hand-in-hand with years of socialism. Bolivia Officially Elects Its First Non-Socialist President in 20 Years
Marching from Marble Arch to Whitehall in central London, demonstrators were seen carrying banners and placards reading “No to Digital ID”, “If You Accept Digital ID Today, You’ve Accepted Social Credit Tomorrow”, and “Once Scanned, Never Free”. Thousands Protest Against Plans to Introduce Digital ID Cards in Britain
“This new nationwide campaign echoes the darkest days of the 1980s, when urban churches first re-emerged from the Cultural Revolution.” (Christianity can and ultimately will annihilate Godless evil communism - jjs) China Arrests 30 Pastors as Crackdown on Christians Grows
In 2022, Gustavo Petro, a former member of the M-19 guerrilla group and all-around nutcase, became Colombia's first left-wing leader since the founding of the country. In three years, his popularity ratings have tanked, he's been involved in scandal after scandal, and his reckless economic policies have stalled the country's growth. Heck, in just the last three or so weeks, he's had his United States visa revoked, become an arm chair "No Kings" rally expert, and accused our country of killing poor little fishermen in the Caribbean Sea — fishermen who just happened to have illegal drugs on board their fancy narco-boats. Colombia's Petro Picks a Fight With Trump. Spoiler Alert: FAFO
Smartmatic — the company involved in a defamation lawsuit against Fox News over the latter’s reporting on the 2020 election — was indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami on Thursday for allegedly bribing a Philippine official in relation to the 2016 Philippine national elections. Smartmatic Indicted For Money Laundering, Bribery Of Philippine Official
DEFENSE, MILITARY, SECURITY AFFAIRS
Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has emphasized strengthening America’s military and restoring its professional and physical standards to usher in a new era for the men and women serving the nation. The Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) joined the vice president — a former Marine himself — and more than 15,000 Marines, sailors, and veterans to celebrate the Corps’s legacy with what officials said was the largest combined amphibious gathering in 30 years.
In the coming days the global rocket industry will also achieve a number of additional milestones. SpaceX is just two launches short of its record of 137 launches achieved last year, while the U.S. is just three launches short of its own record of 157 launches, also set last year. Similarly, China is just three launches short of its own record of 66 set in 2023. The three launches completed Sunday including two major new achievements
FEMINAZISM, TRANSGENDER PSYCHOSIS, HOMOSEXUALIZATION, WAR ON MASCULINITY/NORMALCY
Maher asked guest Mark Cuban about the disappearance of “keffiyeh-wearing college kids” now that Hamas is “shooting everybody.” “Where are the protesters?” Maher said. “Suddenly, the keffiyeh-wearing college kids are very quiet.” Cuban agreed, responding “shooting everybody.” Maher repeated the phrase. Bill Maher Blasts Silent ‘Keffiyeh-Wearing College Kids’ Following Hamas Killings
On the heels of Trump’s Kennedy Center takeover, a “revisal” of the 1955 musical features politically sanitized lyrics and all principals recast as minorities—except the devil, of course. Damn Yankees Goes Woke
ALSO: The Morning Report cross-posts at CutJibNewsletter.com usually within an hour or so of posting here, if you want to continue the conversation all day.
Technologies like LLMs have utility, but the absurd way they've been over-hyped, the fact they're being forced on everyone, and the insistence on ignoring the many valid critiques about them make it very difficult to focus on legitimate uses where they might add value.
But who exactly feels that way?
Turns out, almost everyone in the industry:
What's amazing is the reality that virtually 100% of tech experts I talk to in the industry feel this way, yet nobody outside of that cohort will mention this reality.
Can't risk bursting that don't-ever-call-it-a-bubble.
Sunday Overnight Open Thread - October 19, 2025 [Doof]
—Open Blogger
The Sunday ONT is here. And so are you. As are the gray boxes. Content is MoMe focused, but this is an open thread, as always. What's on YOUR mind tonight?
Lots of discussion in the gun thread about TxMoMeX. Let's keep that conversation going here, too!
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Here's what the horses at the ranch think of our little get-together on THEIR turf.
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Perhaps you left Corsicana late in the day and this is your goal as you travel westward
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Two RV parks I spotted in my post-MoMe travels. One is perfect for me, and one for my fellow ONT COB.
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MoMe appropriate song titles. Also fitting for any evening at Club ONT.
***
'Ette Couture (Courtesy of Piper)
It's that time of the week - when we turn the ONT over to our good friend Piper for a bit. Here's this week's fashion pr0n.
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MoMe 2025– Fashion Fiesta
By Piper
October 19, 2025 – Somewhere Near Corsicana
Forget Milan’s runways and Cannes red carpet. Instead, imagine the AoSHQ comment section in 3D, stomping through a field like it’s the last stand at a Buc-ee’s. From tragic tees to trucker-hat triumphs, here’s the lowdown on who wore what at MoMe 2025. Spoiler: No one wore enough sunscreen, and the collective fedora count hit critical mass. Let's dive in and dissect the looks, shall we?
Sock Puppet : Tragedy
Sock Puppet, the elusive poster, emerged from his lair in what can only be described as post-apocalyptic dadcore. His fit? A faded black Ace of Spades HQ tour tee with more holes than a bad alibi, tucked haphazardly into bootcut jeans . Topped with a trucker hat emblazoned with "Moron Monarch" in bedazzled rhinestones, it was definitely something and that something was not good.
Verdict: 5/10 for commitment to the brand, docked points for the untucked shirttail that screamed "I give up on society and laundry." Sock Puppet, if you're reading this, your posts are bangers, but this outfit was not.
Ride’em Cowgirl: Stunning
REC rode in like a Lone Star goddess who could outwit a troll and outcook a Food Network star. She rocked denim in a way that screamed “I wrangle cattle and your feelings,” cinched with a leather belt wide enough to block traffic. Her turquoise choker was so massive it could’ve sunk the Titanic, it definitely gave a “Texas Forever” charm. She glided through the crowd and the dance floor with the grace of a woman who’s navigated the negative nellies in the comments unscathed.
Verdict: 10/10. REC is MoMe’s style queen, elegant and ready to send a liberal to therapy with one arched brow.
Esthetician and Her Glitter Posse: Swirls and Shenanigans
Enter Ester (last name redacted to protect the innocent), the undisputed champion of "What Happens at MoMe Stays at MoMe... Except This Outfit." She strutted in like she owned the Alamo, rocking a top that boldly declared "Triggered? Good." In swirly script. The real MVPs? Chunky white sneakers caked in what we pray is mud (but suspect is brisket grease) and a fanny pack slung crossbody, stuffed with ammo, a Celcius and enough sass to crash a server farm. Her posse mirrored the chaos: one in a tie dye tee, psychedelic swirls clashing gloriously with acid-wash shorts, another in a star-spangled sundress screaming “Betsy Ross, but make it viral,” this gang turnt up, it was absolute fire.
Verdict: 9/10 for unhinged energy. They’re the fashion equivalent of a Roman candle—bright, reckless, and banned in blue states.
Let’s call him “Tiki Torch Ted” : Because Bob from NSA is too obvious.
From his suspiciously tinted Suburban, to his blue polo shirt and khakis pressed sharp enough to cut steak, Bob’s, um, Ted’s vibe screamed “Federale” The real giveaway? Aviator sunglasses he never took off, even during the square dance, and a Bluetooth earpiece blinking like the Fourth of July. Bob, I mean Ted, tried to play it cool, asking, “So, what’s your sign?” while taking notes on a napkin.
Verdict: 3/10. Points docked because Bob, um, Ted, you’re fooling nobody. Your outfit’s so “undercover” it’s basically glowing neon.
Paolo: Putting the Wild in Wildcard
Paolo, the MoMe’s resident Rico Suave, swaggered in like he’d just escaped an Enrique Iglesias concert. His look? A purple silk shirt unbuttoned to the navel, flashing a serious chest hair situation, paired with red leather pants —because Texas heat doesn’t give a darn about your color wheel, apparently. The straw cowboy hat perched on his head screamed “I’m here to party, not parse.” He was spotted double-fisting Shiners and arguing about tax policy with a fence post.
Verdict: 6.5/10 for a style as colorful as some of his takes. Paolo’s the guy you call when you are in desperate need for a piña colada after getting caught in the rain.
The Lurkers: Dressed Like They Got Lost on the Way
Then there’s the lurker squad, those comment-section phantoms who crawl out of their digital caves once a year, squinting like they’ve never seen sunlight. “Lurker Len” (name changed, but he knows who he is) sported a plain gray Hanes tee, cargo shorts with more pockets than a Ponzi scheme, and Crocs so beat they looked like they’d survived a zombie apocalypse. His only flair? A lanyard with the words “I showed up, don’t make me talk” etched out in red sharpie. Joining along was “i don’t know a niC,” rocking a windbreaker straight out of a 1985 Sears catalog, stretchy jeans, and a trucker hat blaring “Keep Texas Red” in …neon yellow. I know, right?
Verdict: 4/10. They’re MoMe’s unsung agents—zero effort, and wardrobes that say, “I’m here for the tri tip, not the spotlight.”
The Takeaway: Style’s a Mess, But It’s Our Mess
The morons came, they conquered, they got sauce on their shirts, and they did it with a middle finger to the fashion elite. Trends to steal? Plaid’s your wingman, trucker hats are your tiara, and if your t-shirt doesn’t make a liberal rage TikTok in their car, you’re slacking.
Next year, we're petitioning for a red carpet.
Piper’s your weekly style slayer, serving takes on the AoSHQ horde’s hottest (and nottest) looks. Some or all of the above may have been completely made up. Complaints directly to Doof
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Thanks, Piper! Just remember - as you are well aware, I know how to delegate responsibility. Complaint handling is no different!
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Weekly commenter stats for week of 10-19-2025
AoSHQ Commenter Statistics:
Number of posts: 96
Number of comments: 21982
Number of unique hashes: 1924
Top 10 sockpuppeteers:
1 [240 names] 'I'll Add Austedo!' [34.09 unique names/day]
2 [177 names] 'David French'
3 [65 names] 'Miklos pronounces it Green-which, like sammich'
4 [43 names] 'Mullah Miklos'
5 [42 names] 'Duncanthrax'
6 [42 names] 'Quarter Twenty '
7 [41 names] 'mindful webworker - in the room of requirement'
8 [30 names] 'gKWVE'
9 [30 names] 'I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper'
10 [30 names] 'Art Garfunkel '
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Tonight's ONT brought to you by the perfect woman?
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Comments or questions? Suggestions for content? Inappropriate social media reels to share? Fun tales of furloughed Feds? Do the email thing at doof2112 at proton dot me.
Howdy, Y'all! Welcome to the wondrously fabulous Gun Thread! As always, I want to thank all of our regulars for being here week in and week out, and also offer a bigly Gun Thread welcome to any newcomers who may be joining us tonight. Howdy and thank you for stopping by! I hope you find our wacky conversation on the subject of guns 'n shooting both enjoyable and informative. You are always welcome to lurk in the shadows of shame, but I'd like to invite you to jump into the conversation, say howdy, and tell us what kind of shooting you like to do!
Holy Shitballs! How in the ever-loving Hell did it get to be the Post-Texas MoMe Edition? Please use this thread to discuss your TXMoMe X experience!
With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?
Wow! Another Texas Mome in the books. And the 10th TXMome at that! A great time was definitely had by yours truly. A special thanks to all those who spent tireless hours putting on the show, and an especially bigly thanks to Ben Had, Cow Horse Queen and Rancher Bob! We love you!!
Please discuss your 2025 Texas Mome experience in the comments!
Please note the new and improved protonmail account gunthread at protonmail dot com. An informal Gun Thread archive can be found HERE. Future expansion plans are in the works for the site Weasel Gun Thread. If you have a question you would like to ask Gun Thread Staff offline, just send us a note and we'll do our best to answer. If you care to share the story of your favorite firearm, send a picture with your nic and tell us what you sadly lost in the tragic canoe accident. If you would like to remain completely anonymous, just say so. Lurkers are always welcome!
That's it for this week - have you been to the range?
Yes, yes, I know. Grilling and barbecuing is always preferable to cooking in the oven. Except that isn't really the case, especially when it is spitting rain and windy and altogether unpleasant.
Can I grill or smoke or barbecue in the rain? Yes.
Do I enjoy it? No.
And when there are excellent recipes for such standards as pulled pork or barbecued chicken that work quite well in the oven...why not give them a try?
Last night I made chicken thighs. Yup! Plain old chicken thighs, and not from the fancy end of the display case. No, these were the commodity thighs that were minimally trimmed. And that's how I like them, because I get a bounty of several ounces of chicken fat and skin that is just perfect for a small portion of chicken cracklins, or in Chez Dildo...Gribenes.
To be fair to my very good local supermarket, their commodity chicken is miles better than the big chains' versions. But still, fancy it ain't!
I salted the thighs a couple of hours before cooking them, then dusted them with my own dry rub (sound familiar? I wrote about the grill version a couple of weeks ago) and put them on a rack in a baking sheet, then into a 300 degree oven for about an hour. Sort of a reverse sear! Then out, painted with my own barbecue sauce (thank you again, Bluebell), and into a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes or so, just until they got nice and brown.
The advantage of the outdoor grill and smoker is obvious...all of that delicious smoke and byproducts of fat combustion that flavors the meat. But the oven version is solid, with the advantage of being able to control the temperature very easily. From summer to winter I'll bet my grill high-end temperature varies by 100 degrees!
The law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Monday applies to businesses with at least 20 locations. They will have to disclose ingredients including milk, eggs, shellfish and tree nuts when they know or "reasonably should know" that they are in their products.
Wow...of course it is California, and if this new law doesn't sound like a gift to the plaintiff's bar, I'm not sure what else the legislature could do to make California even more sue-happy.
I am confident that there are people, somewhere, probably in California, who are allergic to every food known to man. With eight billion people on the planet, I am sure that there are lawyers in California who will dig them up!
I despair of a generation of Americans who need to be told this sort of thing. Did nobody pay attention to what their mothers and grandmothers were doing in the kitchen?
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Something from the archives...10 and a half years ago! Where did the time go?
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Tall drinks are often watered down and tasteless, and the worst offender is often the venerable Gin & Tonic. But with a little care and some reasonably good gin (but don't splurge on the expensive stuff....it's a waste) it can be a grand and glorious drink; just perfect for that first day of spring when you sit in your lounge chair on the patio and tell your kids how to clean up the yard after this long, dark winter.
The Muddled Gin & Tonic
2 limes -- room temperature
8 ounces good gin. I use Broker's, but any good London Dry gin will work.
16 ounces tonic. There are fancy (expensive) ones that are, unfortunately, really good. But Schweppes or Canada Dry are fine. Just make sure to use a fresh bottle...flat tonic is disgusting and will give you warts.
Roll the limes a bit to loosen the juices up. Slice them into quarters, and drop them into two pint glasses.
Using a muddler or the handle of a heavy wooden spoon (a hammer will work too), press the limes into the bottom of the glass, making sure that you press on both sides of each chunk. The goal is to express the juice and get some of the aromatic oils out of the skin. Just don't press too hard and break the glass!
Add a handful of ice, then four ounces of gin to each glass.
Carefully pour eight ounces of tonic into the glasses, trying to preserve as much carbonation as possible.
Top off with ice and drink immediately.
The ratio of 2:1 tonic:gin is a guideline. If you like yours more or less tonic-y, play with the ratio until you get it just right for your palate.
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Well, I was discussing Jambalaya and how it differs from Gumbo, so why not? Hank Williams is great, so really, any excuse to listen to his music is good!
”After a century in media, Betty Crocker has become a fully vested American symbol of family, hearth, and home that many generations treasure and look up to," says Margaret J. King, Ph.D., director of Cultural Studies & Analysis, a think tank that advises businesses on their fit with culture and cultural values. "Her image is solidly emblematic of the middle-class, productivity, and women as homemakers."
Oh...shut up. You sound like an over-educated retard.
Betty Crocker is an advertising symbol. Yes, it represents an old and possibly respected brand, but inculcating "her" with magical cultural properties is silly.
I thought France would have good garlic, but the Frogs seem to have the same problem we have in the U.S. At least they don't import filthy garlic from China. Pork is great here, but no game, so send all of your extra antelope to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.
Who are those poor deluded souls We know who shakes their Manhattans! These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.
$1,200 for a bottle of bourbon is just stupid, insulting, and a ghastly affront to most people's palates and wallets. I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.
The problem...or the solution...is to buy lots of bourbon, take tasting notes, and eventually arrive at your favorites! It should take forty or fifty years, but it is worth it!
Hex, Torx, Slotted, Phillips, Square, and there are others! I think I have a Tri-Wing driver from about 10 years ago when I was pretending to repair a laptop.
The number of different fasteners is bad enough, but keeping the various wrenches and drivers in some sort of order is impossible.
Gun and gun accessories might be the worst offenders. I think every scope I have uses different size Hex or Torx bolts! And the makers helpfully provide a wrench! But...throw it out, knowing that I probably have seven just like it?
No! That is wasteful. I'll put them in one of the 83 small containers I save for just this eventuality!
Can Religious Morality Be Coherent Without Belief?
—CBD
Charles Murray of "The Bell Curve and "Losing Ground" fame, has written a book called Taking Religion Seriously.
That, in and of itself is a good thing, as the examples of the failures of societies that move away from religion are piling up. You know...the West! But his take seems to suggest an intellectual approach to religion, rather than the more common belief-based one. And that is immensely appealing to me, because regardless of the significant scholarship of Judaism, the intellectual analysis of Christianity is many times larger and more comprehensive.
Taking Religion Seriously is Murray's autobiographical account of the decades-long evolution in his stance toward the idea of God in general and Christianity in particular. He argues that religion is something that can be approached as an intellectual exercise. His account moves from the improbable physics of the Big Bang to recent discoveries about the nature of consciousness, from evolutionary psychology to hypotheses about a universal Moral Law. His exploration of Christianity delves into the authorship of the Gospels, the reliability of biblical texts, and the scholarship surrounding the resurrection story.
No matter one's religion...no matter one's belief or lack thereof, the intellectual and moral structure of Christianity has had a profound effect on the world. We live in a country founded by deeply devout men who also appreciated their religion for its ethical constructs. We are the product of Western culture that is based heavily on the teachings of the Bible (yes, both the Jewish and the Christian bibles) and the extrapolation of its teachings to an entire world.
And that is separate from the also vitally important belief in God, and his influence on us. What makes Murray's take so important is that in our current post-religious world, it is possible to construct a coherent moral framework from the teachings of Christianity. Is it ideal? No...absolutely not. Eventually it will fail in the absence of God, but perhaps as a bridge to a world in which there is a renewed sense of faith and religiosity (and there are signs that it is coming) it is a worthwhile endeavor.
Howdy Readers! Welcome to the Reading Thread, your Sunday morning source for the insightful, lively and spirited discussion of books 'n stuff. I'm filling in for a while as this space re-invents itself under new management so please set your near-term expectations accordingly low.
What do we have this week? Why, it's none other than Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen and published in 1813. As I mentioned in the other editions of the Reading Thread you may not always get such fabulous selections as this.
Anyhoo, feel free to discuss reading and books in general and share your thoughts on this week's selection if you're so inclined.
I know you're just as excited as I am, so just jump below the fold to get started!
New procedure for clicking - rather than opening a PDF, a link now takes you to the Gutenberg Project web page for the book with multiple download options.
Also, prescient. This article was posted ten days ago.
Aptera listed on NASDAQ last week with a share price around $20.
Three days later it's trading below $6.
Aptera has spent 19 years and an untold amount of money - something like $150 million - trying to build what has been unkindly but accurately described as an electric tricycle, and all it has to show for its efforts is a handful of shiny prototypes.
Though given how similar the protypes have all appeared over the years it's not unimaginable that they just painted a solar cell pattern over the original diesel/electric model and called it a day.
Production was originally scheduled to start in 2008.
As John F. Kennedy famously said of the Apollo Program: We choose to go the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because we thought they would be easy.
I suspect that applies equally to the engineers at Aptera. Maybe more than equally.
Apple has reportedly cut production of the iPhone Air - at the same time it has boosted production of other models - and Samsung has cancelled the follow up to its competing S25 Edge.
I wouldn't mind a slimmer phone, but it's far down the list of problems with current models, most of which were self-inflicted by the companies making them.
I fully understand. The cleaning crews in New York conference spaces are all union and those overtime rates will blow your budget into another dimension.
It measures about 9" x 9" x 4", which is big for a small PC but small for a big PC, and offers four (SODIMM) memory slots, four M.2 slots, and three PCIe slots, and a Core Ultra 9 285HX (8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores). Plus two USB4v2 ports (80Gbps) and a USB4 port (40Gbps), two 25Gb Ethernet ports, one 10Gb Ethernet port, one 2.5Gb Ethernet port, one HDMI port, and the usual bunch of USB3 ports.
Given the size and power constraints (it has a 350W power supply) you're not going to fit a high-end graphics card in it, but a low-profile Nvidia 5060 or an Intel Arc Pro B50 should work fine.
It's designed to emulate the Nintendo DS and 3DS. It can play games made for older consoles but it's clearly aimed at those two since it looks exactly like them.
Musical Interlude
Disclaimer: What other things, Mr. President? WHAT OTHER THINGS?!
Saturday Night "Club ONT" October 18, 2025 [The 3 Ds]
—Open Blogger
Ladies and gentlemen, Ette's and Rons, welcome to Club ONT! A collaboration the 3D's - The Disco, The Dino, and The Doggo. Coming to you live from the one, the only Texas MoMe X. Live might be generous. Some pre-blogged content. Ok, most of it. Let's see what's on the docket this evening.
The 3D's are in Corsicana this evening. JQ has the door, bar, snacks, and jukebox tonight - for one night only... No tokens required for the restrooms.
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Coincidence that one would go to great lengths to make the journey to Corsicana?
My 3x grandfather, after serving in The War of Northern aggression, walked (no horse) from Eastern Tennessee to Corsicana, Texas. I think about that a lot. He must have known someone there. This picture was shared by a relative in California. pic.twitter.com/iX09Y74a0s
They are having such a good time that they decide to play hooky and skip out on their Monday exam in psychology. They all send their professor an email saying they had a flat tire while out of town and the professor said no problem, unexpected things happen. They could take it on Tuesday.
Celebrating their white lie they had another big night out and headed back on Monday. When they got back on campus Tuesday they went and saw their professor and she asked if they were all right, thanked them for letting her know ahead of time, and told them to get ready for the test.
Inwardly laughing they were separated into four separate rooms so as not to cheat. All four flipped over the sheet and saw only two questions:
For 5% credit, what does DSM stand for in the DSM-5?
For 95% credit, which tire went flat?
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Drink of the Night
Choices without limit.
Drink Table at Texas MoMe X
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Live look at the MoMe bar area:
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Club ONT Physics
Horde recommended items to study the descent? Ones with chaotic descent? Tumbling descent? Ballistic descent? Bacon descent?
This video of New York City residents throwing trash from their building windows at pro-Hamas fanatics who have been terrorizing the streets is still one of my favorites to watch.
You may know the town of Taft in California, but did you know that Taft was originally the Town of Moron?
From Wikipedia (so caveat emptor):
The town began as Siding Number Two on the Sunset Railroad. According to a display at the West Kern Oil Museum, local residents asked the Southern Pacific Railroad if the station could be named Moro when the rails arrived in about 1900, but a railroad official declined because the name would be too easily confused with the coastal town of Morro Bay. Instead, the railroad directed the station be called Moron, a word which as yet had no association with lack of intelligence. Pictures of local businesses, including the Moron Pharmacy, hang in the museum.
After a fire burned much of the town, the name was changed (in 1909) to Taft in honor of William Howard Taft.
Belshazzar, the ruling co-regent of Babylon, threw a great big party for 1,000 of his closest friends. He demanded the ceremonial gold and silver goblets from the temple of Jerusalem — taken after Babylon conquered Jerusalem in 587 BC — be brought to him so his guests could sip beer from the sacred vessels in a flashy, sacrilegious show.
Story goes that the hand of God promptly arrived to kill the party and smite Belshazzar, who lost his kingdom and his life later that night.
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Admiral Russell of the Mediterranean fleet took “drunk as a sailor" to new depths with his week-long cocktail party.
In 1694, Russell invited 5,000 sailors to the bash, where the drink of choice was a large fountain full of a brandy wine punch. For reference, the fountain was so large that it’s said men in canoes rowed around inside it to serve as bartenders.
To recreate it at home, just take 250 gallons of brandy, 125 gallons of wine, 1,400 pounds of sugar, 2,500 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice, and 5 pounds of nutmeg. Serve shaken, stirred, or paddled.
What's the biggest rager the Horde has attended?
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Texas MoMe Thoughtful Hordelings
Tokens courtesy of haffhourshower. You mad-scientist, corner the token market types will need to rework your plan.
Eromero with the black t-shirts! Shot glasses courtesy of DDS.
Some Rat came through with commemorative plates and white towels.
TiFW brought logo'd writing pens!
Big ONT thanks for the Horde and their generosity.
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Club ONT Music
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Top 10ish Comments of the Week overheard at the Texas MoMe.
RI Red, meeting Piper....
"You don't look like I imagined you would. You have less height."
Directions you'll only hear at the MoMe: It's up there, just past the bacon. Exchange between GWB and Doof.
"They're having sex down here!"
Nurse Ratched, speaking about the never ending amount of spent brass on handgun range.
So great to meet the king of the permanent record entries.
Unknown...
Half the lies they tell about me are not true.
Duncanthrax
Shout out to Rancher Bob, for moving the porta-potties away from my camper this year.
Sponge
I wish ... (ellipses) was here. He's like a brother from another mother, or a sister from another mister. Actually, he's my sibling from another dribbling.
Shain S.
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The Disco, doing Disco things and drawing necessary attention.
*Bruce Wayne squeezed Doof's butt* She Hobbit: Why you giving out squeezes? Bruce Wayne: Because it's Doof!! He looked like he needed it.
Doof Sucks!
(weasel) - likely or something that weasel might say about Doof.
Doof is an ASS!
(CBD) - likely.
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Notably Absent From The Texas MoMe.
Jim Sunk New Dawn was a regular attendee of the Texas MoMes. This was the first one without him, and it sucks to not see him anymore. We left a chair empty in his honor - which is portrayed here. In the chair is a Hawaiian shirt (Jim's standard garment for a MoMe) and a sign which Weasel unveiled. The hangun range at the ranch will forever be a memorial to our brother Jim.
Let's raise a glass in Jim's honor!
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This Club ONT was brought to you by freewill, planning, and scheming.
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DISCLAIMER: The Club is not responsible for Morons, Misfires, or the Macarena. The Club would also like to remind guests that personal decisions have consequences. Morons getting "scoped" while on the range, sunburnt, and/or interpretive dance moves performed in or near the carport at at the sole discretion and responsibility of the Moron. Proceed at your own risk.
Good evening, Charles is on vacation. So, you get what you pay for. Yours truly.
Once upon a time in a different world that stereo looked vaguely familiar. The Fabulous and I downsized earlier in the 2000s. We now have something much more compact, Bose Wave Sound. But, all good things must come to an end and so is that particular model.
Ours is still working and it works wonderfully with our turntable. So our stereo and turntable sit with the large dust collector television in the living room.
What's a MH Music Thread without some of the Maestro!?!?
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Let's keep it to music and light topics this evening shall we?! As I write this Thread I have not heard of any tragic circumstances in rural Corsicana, TX
Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. A spin of the Ace of Spades Wheel of Hobbies (TM) landed on space shuttle air transport.
Are you thinking "That's an oddly specific hobby but I love space and modeling and I like history and traveling and engineering. There are so many aspects that make this more of an interest than a hobby. I can't wait to get into the content!" I knew it. Enjoy.
Going to be a slightly abbreviated thread this week...for reasons. TRex is in an undisclosed location doing undisclosed things.
As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. All (legal) hobbying is welcome. However, politics, current events and religious debates can live in threads elsewhere. Pants are optional. Puns are welcome and encouraged.
Play nice. Don't be a troll and do not feed the trolls.
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The inspiration for this post is the space shuttle carrier on display at the visitor center for NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It is number 905 and the first of two shuttle carrier aircraft.
Can you imagine the conversation?
"We need to be able to test the shuttle's ability to glide home for a landing. We also need to transport the space shuttle around the country. How are we going to do that? We're all out of ideas. We can't fly it. We can't tow it behind a truck. We can't put it on a train."
Two guys from the back row: "How about flying it piggyback on top of a 747? We could build a model to try it out."
And they did...
John Kiker and Owen Morris built a 1/40-scale radio-controlled model of the Space Shuttle on top of a Boeing 747 to prove that the configuration was viable. The model is on display at the visitor center.
In May 1983, what was then NASA's only Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a highly-modified Boeing 747 airliner capable of carrying a Space Shuttle on the top of its fuselage, arrived at the Paris Air Show carrying the shuttle Enterprise. The international aviation spectacle, arguably Europe's highest-profile air show, had long been an arena for Cold War competition. While the visit was hugely publicized, what most don't know is that the plane had been modified for its European trip with an advanced countermeasures system to protect itself from heat-seeking missiles that was still highly classified at the time. The defensive additions to NASA's 747 were so sensitive that the plane's crew was told to keep it a secret no matter what.
I was told that the photo, taken in December of 2008 as Endeavor made its voyage back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was one of the most beloved in at the installation and that it was shot by one of NASA's most acclaimed photographers, Carla Thomas. If I remember correctly, the photo was planned ahead of time and executed perfectly from the back seat of Armstrong's F/A-18B. The aircraft had rolled inverted-or near inverted-to capture the unique angle of the loaded-up SCA.
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The MDD:
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Horde Hobbying from PA Dutchman:
This is a Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank that I just finished and mounted on a diorama base made of foam insulation. The tank represents the 34th Tank Regiment,which operated in northeast China from 1944 until the end of the war, when it was overrun by the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. I included a picture of the finished model and an AI image made with Google Gemini.
Outstanding! Thanks for sharing.
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Been waiting for a while to show this diorama. Amazing.
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Hobby humor:
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Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did a lumber theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.
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Notable comments from last week department:
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Words of wisdom:
"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).
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If you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, contribute something from your personal hobbying. We will feature a different theme next time. What are you hobbying? We love showing off Horde hobbying. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Do mighty things.
Thought about having little fishies in your back yard? Maybe some mosquito fish in the summer? You could make up some stories with the kids or grandkids.
Hello. This is my Cat, on the deck rail one evening. Took the shot with a flip-phone and was surprised at how well it turned out. Cat's true identity will remain secret, LOL.
Love the pet thread, it's one of the highlights of my week!
-- JQ
Thanks, JQ! What a perfect photo for the season!
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Zack from Hilton Head Island
Rich
Zack just melts your heart, doesn't he?
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Name is Sejong, we took him in when my sister spent a week in the Hospital, and I couldn't leave a month old kitten alone at her place
Then my wife fell in love with him.
He is about three months old, and is growing like a weed, and unfortunately is still at that stage of being part velociraptor.
The old lady cats are not sure what to do about him besides complain.
Kindltot
What a charmer!
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This is Aliy a Silver Lab in Anchorage.
I post as Mudshark
What a beautiful dog! And already retrieving!
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Thank you for sharing your pets and animal photos and stories with us today.
If you would like to send pet and/or animal stories, links, etc. for the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, the address is:
petmorons at protonmail dot com
Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.
I've saved some spring flower photos from Neal in Israel. I like these. Above, an Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) that seems fitting today. Below, a dark hollyhock to attract some critters.
One of my lefty social media "friends" seems really excited about the big protest planned for today, explained below by the "Tony Michaels Meme Machine":
The second No Kings protest against Donald Trump is planned nationwide for Saturday, October 18. Organizers are expecting over 10 million participants, which would make it one of the largest in American history. These events are organized by groups such as 50501, Indivisible movement, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Third Act, and Move On.
"No Kings" is an ultra-short theme which allows people to imagine that any criticism that they have of the President is shared by their fellow protesters and to misrepresent current events in ways that suggest that Trump wants to be a king for life. But sometimes I wonder if they have a shared vision of what they DO want?
What kind of leadership did they think they had when Joe Biden was in office? With Kamala's book tour underway and new interview clips starting to appear, I am thinking about their alternative in the last election, too:
I remember how during her short campaign, themes changed regularly, from "Kamala is a brat" to "Kamala brings joy" to things like this:
She had a hard time running on her past policies, partly because they changed over time and partly because they often didn't work out real well.
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I am beginning to think that many of the "No Kings" enthusiasts want to be part of a drama, with similar dramas being enacted across the country, and that they want directors.
Here are some directions posted by my social media friend for rally participants, from Dirty Hippies Productions:
I guess you can be a morally superior, non-violent person now even if you won't denounce Jay Jones. It will be interesting to see if the Democrats can live up to the expectations of the Dirty Hippies during and after the big rally.
The big news of the week, of course, was President Trump’s diplomatic/military triumph in obtaining an end to fighting in Gaza and the return of Hamas’s hostages to Israel. It was a moment that anyone would celebrate–anyone but a liberal, that is. The same people who organized demonstrations around the world demanding a cease fire were oddly silent when they got their wish.
In other news, peace may be breaking out in Ukraine, too. Once again, the prospect of peace has something to do with Trump’s persuasive powers, and more to do with Tomahawk missiles.
Meanwhile, the Democrats have not been idle. They have kept their Schumer Shutdown going, and did their best to prevent military personnel from being paid. And later today, they will conduct “No Kings” protests, which no doubt will be just as effective as the first round, in June. “No Kings” is an odd theme for a protest, isn’t it? Notably absent is any reference to any policy issue. The “No Kings” theme reflects the fact that the Democrats are utterly out of ammo when it comes to policy, and have nothing left but hatred of President Trump.
The Classical Saturday Morning Coffee Break & Prayer Revival
—Misanthropic Humanitarian
[Mug H/T - JQ]
[Music H/T - Hadrian]
*****
Good morning boys and girls and everything in between. Before we enter the Prayer Revival just a few housekeeping matters to take care of. (Rulz for those of you in Albuquerque)
1) This is an open thread. Feel free to lurk, opine and/or bloviate.
2) Be kind, be nice.
3) Are you kidding me? No, you may not run with anything sharp.
4) To those in Texas for the Texas MoMe, be careful with your travels. No, you may not request prays for bail money.
5) Have a great week!!
Please submit any prayer requests to me, “Annie’s Stew” at apaslo atsign hotmail dot com. Prayer requests are generally removed after four weeks unless we receive an update.
Prayer Requests:
9/11 – D sent an update for Susan, his wife, and her battle with cancer: Thank you, everyone, again for your prayers for Susan. Her cancer markers went down at the last Dr visit, but she is back to having abdominal pain that is making it hard to eat right. They are trying to get her weight up and thank God for the good days they do have. The really good news is that she is able to walk around again without the fear of falling over.
9/23 Update – The pain has started coming back, so they went to the hospital and found a cyst. They are trying to determine if it is infected.
10/16 Update – Susan was hospitalized for 3 weeks. They removed the cyst and her gallbladder. The chemo continues; it’s rough but so far, but the cancer only grown 1 mm, so it seems to be working. Thank you to everyone for their prayers.
9/20 – Tonypete sent happy prayers for Will and Natalie, who were married on 9/19. May they continue to live God’s plan for themselves and remain as happy as they were on their wedding day.
9/20 – Accomack sent his thanks for the prayers for his wife. She was cleared of the parasites, but her liver has not returned to normal because of all the antibiotics. She has not been cleared to return to work, but she has insurance and union payouts, so this could go on for a while.
9/20 – Dash my lace wings asked for prayers for her mama. On 9/17, she fell and broke ribs. It was the second time in about 6 weeks, and much more painful than the last time.
9/27 Update – Thank you for your prayers. Her mother is recovering slowly.
9/20 – RedMindBlueState asked for prayers for the wife of a close friend. She is back in chemo for a recurrence of cancer. Please pray for her and her family.
9/21 – P asked for prayers for her brother, T, in New York. He already has stage 4 lung cancer. His car got totaled one night at 3 am, and when his wife was driving him to the insurance office the next day to report this, he felt so wobbly that she diverted to the ER, where they found out he’d had a stroke.
9/22 – C requested prayers for a friend whose mother passed away after years of dealing with dementia.
10/4 Update – The friend and his siblings are gathering at the family home today and the service will be in the next few days. The finality will probably hit him at that point.
9/27 – Retired Buckeye Cop wrote to thank the Horde for praying for his kid brother, “J”, after he lost his job back in June. A few weeks ago, J received two job offers. He accepted the job that offered $13K/year more pay and had a shorter commute.
9/27 – vmom deport deport deport asked for prayers for her husband’s swift recovery. His procedure was minor, but not quite as minor as expected.
9/27 – Sock Monkey requested prayers for his paster, who went to the ER with chest pains and slurred speech. The pastor is a young man, late 30s, and relatively fit. He has 3 young children with a 4th due in Oct. Please pray for his recovery and strength for his wife. He has been a tremendous blessing to the church.
9/27 – Joe Kidd posted a request for a friend, Bill, who has assumed sole responsibility for the care of his 90-year-old mother. (The original caretaker has fallen into alcoholism and was been removed from the premises. Please pray that she gains clarity and resolve to battle that demon.) And please pray that Bill’s path is made straight as he decides between taking early retirement or continuing to balance full time work with caretaking. Thank you and God bless.
9/27 – From about That Time asked for prayers for surgery on 10/1 to remove a growth. Please pray that it’s just a small disposable annoyance, as expected.
9/27 – Tonypete gave an update on the people from his church who were in an automobile accident earlier this year. Cheri is doing much better. While convalescing from the car crash, she fell and broke her hip, so she is recovering from that also. One of the passengers, Nick, had a heart episode during the wreck and died. He was his wife’s caregiver and she is now bereft. Prayers are still needed for all.
9/28 - Teresa in Fort Worth gave an update: It has been 1 year since Teresa started “down the cancer rabbit hole”. She sends her thanks for the prayers as they have buoyed her and her family through this year. She has been blessed to exceed the original 6-12 months predicted, by the grace of God – and the prayers of many people. Her next CT scan is in November, and the surgeon is pretty sure that her tumors will be small enough to remove/destroy.
10/7 Update – A recent CT scan shows lots of calcification (indicating tumor cell death), and the oncologist didn’t see any sign on the small tumors. The area where the largest tumor was now shows lots of calcification and the largest tumor has shrunk by almost 90%! Her next CT scan will be 11/3, and they assume they will be discussing surgery to remove the lobe of her liver, where the tumor is located. Timelines are uncertain, but she is hopeful that she will get to spend Christmas with her family at least one more time, if not more! Thanks to EVERYONE who has been praying on her behalf.
9/29 – toby928 asked for prayers for a brother named Joe, who is being crushed by grief. Joe’s wife is in a coma and will likely die in the next few days.
10/12 – Joe’s wife did pass away. She is safe in the arms of our Savior.
10/1 – Duke Lowell sent an update. He is home now, after 8 days in the hospital and every antibiotic known to man. He sent thanks for the prayers, and thanks to God for granting him another day in this glorious world He’s created.
10/11 Update – After a second stint in the hospital, Duke is home now. He was recovering nicely, but something “knocked him sideways”. Severe dehydration put him into renal failure. He is on the mend now.
10/2 – Bluebell passed along an update: grammie winger sends her gratitude for all the prayers – she feels they are working. On Oct 6 she will be starting a cancer treatment program because her doctors are “cautiously optimistic” that they can give her some more time. Monday she gets the port, followed by 6 hours of chemo infusion on Tuesday. The Rev is doing better because now he has some hope. Pleease pray for her as she starts this treatment program because in her words, “prayer changes things”.
10/4 – Legally Sufficient’s “Boss” will be undergoing intestinal surgery shortly. It looks scary so prayers for him and his medical team are appreciated.
10/4 – The Fabulous for safe travels as she travels to visit her oldest daughter who is about to be a mother of a baby girl. Prayers for the mom to be and her child.
10/4 – Skip requested prayers for his dad, who fell at church back in August, hitting his head. He fell again at home and has had back pain since then. He is going in for more tests on 10/8.
10/11 Update – Dad has a brace to wear and has pain medication, so is doing OK for now. He will need an outpatient procedure soon for an injection in his spine to fill a void. Continuing prayers will help.
10/4 – Out Country is Screwed sent thanks for the prayers over the past year, during breast cancer treatments. The prayers have sustained, through surgery, chemo, and now through radiation.
10/4 – Random Dave would appreciate prayers from the Horde. He is one of the 5% of government workers that make the other 95% look bad, and he is trying to move to the private sector. He has found a good possibility to meet/exceed his pay and do an interesting job that is a good fit for his skills and interests. Praying that if it’s where God wants him, He will make it clear and the road smooth.
10/4 – DenverGregg asked for prayers for Ana, a lady from his church who is experiencing unemployment and mental illness, which tend to exacerbate each other.
10/4 – Longtime Lurker, Morgan, offers praise for financial blessings and petitions for safety in upcoming travel and coping with social isolation and loneliness, including finding a church home. Blessings upon Ace, the COBs, the other site works and all the blog lurkers and participants.
10/4 – Mrs. Leggy asked for prayers for a young girl who is suffering from leukemia and now has a horrible infection of the colon. Surgery may be required and because of her weakened condition, this could kill her. Thanks so very much!
10/6 – Inogame sent happy news about his wife and baby. The 20 week ultrasound was completed, and there is one baby girl with all the correct parts in the correct places. Mom and baby are doing well, though mom could use a nap or 20.
10/7 -CW is a long-time Horde member who could use prayers. His relationships with his son and his daughter have deteriorated recently, and his daughter has cut him off from the grandchildren.
10/8 – fourseasons asked for prayers for a brother-in-law, Chris, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had another scan last weekend and there is another tumor. He is losing his vision and has lost his ability to speak. He will have surgery on 10/10, and the surgeon said he will probably lose the ability to walk. The family is devastated. Chris is a wonderful man and has always been healthy.
10/11 Update – Chris is recovering from surgery to remove his brain tumors now. He was talking last night, which he wasn’t able to do before surgery. They are hoping for a full recovery.
10/11 – NuclearJim requests prayers for spiritual strength to defeat prostate cancer.
10/11 – the lower depths asked for prayers for his/her mother Gail and her eyes (macular degeneration) and knees (bone on bone) failing.
10/11 – FenelonSpoke asked for prayers for her son. He needs a job and has been diligently looking for one. His degree is in botany.
10/11 – tbodie Lurker requested continued prayers for a son with pancreatic cancer. He has been through 3 months of chemo that significantly shrank the cancer. This week he had surgery to remove the remaining cancer. They also removed his spleen. So far things look good. Thank you.
10/11 – Brother Tim asked for prayers as he has two more sessions of radiation. Prayer works and God heals.
10/11 – Ben Had asked for prayers for a very special man we know as olddog. May his medical issues be benign and full health restored.
10/13 – K requested prayers for a co-worker (Grant). Grant and his wife are expecting their first child, and they are experiencing some complications. K would appreciate prayers for peace and a healthy baby for Grant, his wife, and their unborn child.
10/15 – Bulg asked for prayers for an elderly neighbor, who used to babysit for them, is undergoing chemo for colon cancer.
10/16 – jrgunn5 asked for prayers for a son who is going through a very trying time. The son is almost finished with his teaching credentials and Master’s program. He sees other students being offered positions that he is more qualified for, yet he is ignored by the schools where he is working. He is becoming angry and despairing of gaining a position to pay off the enormous debt he has taken on to pursue this career. He needs to hear God’s voice, and a door opening soon would be appreciated.
10/16 – Annie’s Stew requests God’s protection and blessing on the Texas MoMe this weekend. May He grant safe travels to and from the get-together, and may it be a blessing for everyone involved.
For submission guidelines and other relevant info, please contact Annie's Stew, who is managing the prayer list. You can contact her at apaslo at-sign hotmail dot com. If you see a prayer request posted in a thread comment, feel free to copy and paste it and e-mail it to Annie's Stew. She tries to keep up with the requests in the threads, but she's not here all of the time, so she may not see it unless you e-mail it to her. Please note: Prayer requests are generally removed after four weeks or so unless we receive an update.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.
"Our Constitution forbids this," the lawsuit said. "None of our laws require businesses to 'card' people before they can enter bookstores and shopping malls. The First Amendment prohibits such oppressive laws as much in cyberspace as it does in the physical world."
Actually the Constitution is silent on this, and arguing the First Amendment forbids laws protecting children applies equally to the Second Amendment.
Eleventh Starship/Superheavy a complete success "On the eleventh orbital test flight today of Starship/Superheavy, SpaceX basically achieved all its engineering goals, with both Superheavy and Starship completing their flights as planned, with Superheavy doing a soft vertical splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, and Starship doing a soft vertical splashdown in the Indian Ocean." [CBD]
The architectural history of the spooky old house Kind of interesting, looks at the design cues that inform stuff like the Addams Family Mansion and the other media "spooky old houses" of our imagination
Podcast: CBD and Sefton are joined by retired Army Major Diogenes to discuss Secretary of War Hegseth, women in the military, drones, the left's masks slipping, and more!
Chris Dreja RIP: of the legendary 60s Rock band The Yardbirds has died at 79.
Dreja co-founded The Yardbirds in 1963; playing rhythm guitar alongside lead axman Tom Topham, singer Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarthy and bassist Paul Samwell-Smith. The group would go on to feature three of the most celebrated guitarists in rock history in Eric Clapton, who replaced Topham in 1993; Jeff Beck, who took over for Clapton in 1965; and future Led Zeppelin heavyweight Jimmy Page, who joined in 1966; when Samwell-Smith left. (J.J. Sefton)
I have no regrets about quitting the NFL.
I also have no regrets about quitting the increasingly gay James Bond:
Bleeding Fool
@BleedingFool
Amazon removed the guns from key art used on every James Bond film on Prime -ostensibly to provide a unified look for the series on streaming. Alas, removing the weapons left 007 in some awkward poses.
What does this portend about Amazon MGM's handling of Bond?
Podcast: Hegseth slaps the generals, is the Gaza peace plan another chimera, Iowa's illegal alien school superintendent, the deep state subverts our republic, and more!
