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WHAT GAMES DOES HUNTER PLAY?

8ball_bideWhat shameless act or felonious activity was not evidenced on Hunter Biden’s laptop? Racist attitudes toward Asians? Soliciting prostitution? Felonious use of drugs? Photographed nudity and perverse sex? Admissions to illicit foreign shakedowns?

Hunter all but accused his own father President Joe Biden of also being on the foreign take: “I hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family… Unlike Pop I won’t make you give me half your salary.”

Hunter’s alleged felonies range from bribery to tax evasion. That he has not yet been prosecuted for anything is scandalous. His exemption is attributable only to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s likely weaponized directives to federal prosecutors to downgrade or forget altogether felony charges against Hunter.

So given such wild behavior, why would not Hunter tone it down, stop the global grifting, cease the reckless behavior—and quit redirecting attention to the likely illegal acts of his father, the President?

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NIKKI HALEY SQUISHING AROUND

nikki-haley-squishAs you may have guessed from the title of this post, I’m not a Nikki Haley fan. She’s a sort of conservative, which makes her way better than a Democrat, but she’s also a squish, which puts her low on my list. I also really dislike her playing the woman card to run. That’s such a Democrat thing to do. Now, my concern is that she’s attacking Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) because he’s holding the Pentagon’s feet to the fire over its illegal abortion policies.

The Hyde Amendment isn’t complicated: It says that federal funds cannot be used to pay for abortions unless the abortion will save the woman’s life or the pregnancy results from rape or incest.

In 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court held that abortion is not a constitutional right, returning the matter to the states. (To make abortion a federal right or ban it nationwide requires a constitutional amendment.) Several states have since banned or severely limited abortion. There are military bases in many of the states that have placed full or partial bans on abortion.

The Pentagon is currently a leftist institution, from the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on down. Obama started a purge of conservatives, and Biden has been finishing it.

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FLASHBACK FRIDAY – THE MAGIC OF TASSILI

jackson-at-tassiliFebruary, 2003. In the deepest hidden heart of the Sahara Desert where Algeria, Libya, and Niger come together, there is a high uninhabited plateau called the Tassili n’Ajjer. It is one of the most magical places on the planet – gigantic rock pillars and arches in spectacular abstract shapes, a forest of 2,000 year-old trees from when the Sahara was once green, the greatest profusion of prehistoric rock art on earth many thousand years old.

This is my son Jackson when we trekked and camped here at age 10. He’ll be guiding our next expedition here with me soon, for it is now safe and secure again. Come with us to have one of the most magically unforgettable experiences of your life. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #122 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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THE DEAD MAN’S HAND

bill-hickocks-saloonThis is where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed by assassin Jack McCall on August 2, 1876 in Deadwood, South Dakota.

The No. 10 Saloon is where Hickok had been playing five card draw that day.  He was uncomfortable with his back to the bar (the furthest chair in the photo) and asked another player, Charlie Rich, twice if he could switch seats so his back would be to the wall behind – and twice Rich refused (the chair on the left).

A miner who had lost at cards with Hickok so badly that Wild Bill gave him money to eat, Jack McCall, came in, walked to the bar behind Hickok seeming to ask for a drink, and suddenly without warning pulled his pistol shot Wild Bill in the back of the head, killing him instantly.

Four cards in Hickok’s hand were showing – two black aces and two black eights, forever to be known as The Dead Man’s Hand. (The fifth or hole card was down and is not known.)

McCall was hung for the murder, buried with the noose still around his neck.  Hickok is reverentially interred at Deadwood’s Mount Moriah Cemetery with a large bronze monument immortalizing the single most renowned man for whom the Wild West was named – James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok.  (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #227 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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THE SNAKE WALLS OF KHIVA

khiva-snake-wallsThe inner city of the ancient Silk Road oasis of Khiva has been unchanged for centuries. Surrounding 40ft-high snake walls that writhe around the city have protected it for centuries, enabling defenders to shoot, spear, and pour burning hot oil on attackers from three sides.

Khiva’s labyrinth of narrow lanes adorned with blue and aquamarine tile mosaics is a living museum for you to explore.  On the Oxus or Amu Darya River in deepest Central Asia, Khiva was ancient when Alexander the Great seized it in 329 BC.

It survived the depredations of Arabs in the 8th century, Mongols in the 13th, Tamerlane in the 14th. The Khanate of Khiva continued to flourish on the Silk Road until conquered by the Russians in the 19th. Today in Uzbekistan, it remains as the best-preserved of the ancient oases of the Silk Road, yet unknown to the outside world.

It need not remain unknown to you, however.  We were just here last year, and will be here again soon.  Join us and make Khiva a part of your life.(Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #226 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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THE WORLD’S BIGGEST MONEY

rai-currencyWe’re on the island of Yap in Micronesia – some 500 miles southwest of Guam and 1,200 miles east of Manila in the Western Pacific. The Yapese have lived here for over 2,000 years, and have maintained their culture and traditions to this day.

Phenomenal navigators in their outrigger canoes, in ancient times they began sailing to Palau over 250 miles south to quarry large sections of limestone and return to stone-chisel them into circles with a hole in the middle (through which world put a long pole for carrying them.

Called Rai, they have been Yap’s currency for two millennia.  The ones you see here are typical size but many are much larger, weighing as much as a car.  Rai are the world’s biggest money – used not for day-to-day transactions but large ones like a bride’s dowry and wedding party, or a real estate deal.

The Yapese are a proud and peaceful people who live by their code of Respect and Responsibility.   They are warm and welcoming to visitors.  A 90-minute flight from Guam makes it easy to get here.  Spending time with these special people will be life-memorable.  (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #216 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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SPITUK GOMPA

gompaThe Tibetan Monastery or “Gompa” of Spituk overlooks the Upper Indus as it flows out of Chinese Tibet and towards Baltistan in Pakistan. The Indus here is the geological dividing line between the ancient Karakorum mountains and the younger Himalayas (40+ million years old and growing: Mount Everest rises 2 inches every ten years).

We’re in Indian Tibet here, a region called Ladakh where Tibetan culture flourishes freely. Wheeler Expeditions first explored Indian Tibet – including running the remote Zanskar River tributary of the Upper Indus, one the world’s most thrilling whitewater experiences – in 1992. We’ll explore it once more next year. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #128 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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WHITE HOUSE CLAIMS THERE IS NO DIRECT EVIDENCE THAT HUNTER BIDEN ACTUALLY EXISTS

d-white-houseWASHINGTON, DC — Amid a House impeachment inquiry and increasing questions about bribery and extortion involving Hunter Biden, the White House reminded the press that there's not any direct evidence that Hunter Biden actually exists.

"When you think about it, there's not really any conclusive proof that this 'Hunter' guy is even real," said historic, gay, black Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to reporters. "Have any of you even seen him in person? Have you actually physically touched him? For all we know, Hunter is just a figment of the GOP's wild and fevered imaginations. It's sad, really."

The gathered journalists murmured and nodded in agreement at Jean-Pierre's excellent point.

"It's a shame we didn't start questioning the notion of this 'Hunter Biden' fiction a long time ago," said Meet The Press anchor Chuck Todd. "How could we have been so blind to the deep deception of the far-right? The whole thing was a hoax! This is an attack on democracy."

Journalists have begun to pull all their Hunter Biden stories pending further investigation into the matter. "Once we have investigated the GOP's deception around the existence of this alleged 'Hunter' character, we will update you on that story," said Jake Tapper. "Stay tuned for an update in 5 or 6 years."

At publishing time, new allegations related to Joe Biden's involvement in the corruption surfaced, leading the White House to denounce the existence of Joe Biden as a right-wing conspiracy theory.

____________________________

In Disney's upcoming reboot of 1937's Snow White, will the Prince kiss the sleeping princess? Or will he obtain her consent first?

 

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HALF-FULL REPORT 09/08/23

Don't Banana My Republic!


The Maui fire last month took many lives and destroyed considerable property. Since then, governments at multiple levels have demonstrated a stilted communication response that increasingly appears inauthentic and politically motivated.

Many children are missing and presumed burned to death. How many? Nobody seems to know. Electronic geofencing prevents private drones from looking at the scene; a tall, opaque fence has been erected around the site. Official government spokespersons do not appear competent or even in the loop.

Censorship has returned to social media with a vengeance as the government demands posts mentioning or discussing the fires be shut down. The immediate question is, why? Why do government agents believe aggressive, centralized narrative control is their best option? Perhaps because we are in election season? Perhaps another reason?

Public relations experts, ministers of propaganda, or whatever they shall be called, did not conceptualize the cause and progression of events effectively. They used poor graphics and messaging filled with blanks and gaps that shredded their credibility.

The official cause of the fire was downed electrical lines into fields of bone-dry grass. Videos of the fire's ignition exist.

But…Many know that directed energy weapons are being researched and that a Chinese satellite operating a LIDAR unit, a laser version of radar, overflew the site. Rumors have expanded to fill the gap without effective official messaging and in light of aggressive censorship.

The fire was a crisis, yet the mismanagement of official communication continues. This begs the question, when faced with crisis communication, why is the first impulse of government to hide, block, and censor? Are government communication teams so thoroughly woke that they cannot perform their jobs? No wonder faith in institutions is collapsing.

Much is being written about expanding the economic zone called the BRICS. Are we supposed to be afraid? And afraid of what exactly? A collection of global extraction-based economies has joined a geographic and political zone centered on China. Most are middle to low-income, low-productivity, low-innovation economies with a collectivist bent. Sure, they can engineer a famine or crisis to promote the debtor/creditor international perspective. At best, they are trying to build a cargo-cult version of the old USSR. In the end, economics are more powerful than political systems. It has been thus throughout all of history,

If the United States stops patrolling the trade routes between the BRICS, pirates and scoundrels will prey on the ships. Even with China as a central member, the BRICS do not have an effective blue-water navy.

We return to the second part of the discussion of Beautiful Trouble, the left's new playbook for revolution in light of modern social media and mobile phones. Today's conversation covers the conceptual framework behind leftist dogma. We will wrap up the conceptual framework next week before moving on to their tactics and logistics, training, and organization over the following weeks.

Troublemakers, as they call themselves,  want to remove individuals' right to think and discuss important topics. What is most annoying is the government action in Maui is in synch with the philosophy behind Beautiful Trouble.

Please click over to this week's HFR and join the forum conversation. They want to silence your voice. Don't let them.

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SKYE’S LINKS 09/07/23

Narrative Damage Control. Can the Deep State Save its Political Ship?

 

The Federal Government relies on political narratives to assert control. Federal agencies are fundamentally narrative management organizations built up during a previous time when lies could be told with impunity. Federal agents with guns attempt to beat political beliefs into the populace when the lies fail. Love it or hate it, it is the system.

Things are getting tougher. First, the narrative-making process appears to have less competency, elegance, and professionalism. You know what is said about going woke leading to “going broke” in the private sector. The government sector is not immune, as social hires were found to be winging it all through COVID-19. They seem to be winging everything.

Federal Narrative Control agents have their hands full as the lunacy from the bureaucrats is getting more challenging to enforce. Government agencies have lost coordination among themselves.

Medical information is falsified, crime statistics are outright lies, Bidenomics is not working, and people act as if anarchy is the rule, whether in shopping malls or at the ballot box.

The ship is on fire, and the damage control crews don’t know how to put the flames out. Instead of authenticity, competent insiders are abandoning ship for the private sector.

The Fourth Turning grumbles on. Anarchy is spreading even while some courts earnestly try to restore faith in the law. A profound problem is that many courts promote anarchy, if not evil. President Trump has much to say about this.

Let’s have a look over at Skye’s Links.

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AIKIDO AND THE GLOWARMER FLEA

the-galactosphere
The Galactosphere

[This week’s Archive was originally published on May 7, 2007.  I had some fun with it at the start, but it ends with a fascinating theory by two professors of astrophysics. Since Warmism is a secular religion invulnerable to real facts and science, it has since been ignored, but it’s useful to bring it to attention now.  Enjoy.]

TTP, May 9, 2007

We're going for a wild ride here, starting on a log floating down a river, then go on a fling through the galaxy. On the way, we'll examine the extinction of the dinosaurs. We'll end up applying aikido to astrophysics as a way to de-subsidize the glowarmers.

Glowarmers – those who believe in the religion of Man-Made ("Anthropogenic") Global warming – argue that:

  1. The earth's climate is getting dangerously warmer due to "greenhouse gases" that hold heat in the atmosphere so it can't escape into frigid space…
  2. The greenhouse gas primarily responsible for this "greenhouse effect" causing global warming is carbon dioxide…
  3. Human energy production and consumption (e.g., coal-fired power plants, internal combustion engines) is the primary emitter of the additional carbon dioxide causing the global warming…
  4. Thus the solution to global warming is the drastic reduction of human carbon dioxide emissions.
This argument is so willfully ignorant of basic science that it cannot be attributed to stupidity.  Indeed, a great many glowarmers are highly intelligent.  It must be attributed to an ego-trip of absolutely monumental magnitude, of genuinely pathological proportions.

So lunatic enormous that the glowarmers' egos are like the ultimate joke example of egomania, the flea with a hard-on.

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Z GENERATION: INTO THE HEART OF RUSSIAS FASCIST YOUTH

generation-z [No, this is not about America’s Gen Z, named after the Xers and Y Millennials. It is about Russia’s, named after the tactical insignia of Russian troops occupying Ukraine, which they support with a Nazi-genocidal fervor]

red-square-moscow
Red Square, Moscow

Alina is 19. She loves fashion, and watching pirated Hollywood movies with her mechanic boyfriend Sergei.

But since February 24, 2022, when President Vladimir Putin sent an invasion force into Ukraine, Alina's online life has become scarily violent. She is one of the Z Generation.

She shares and re-posts propaganda about Ukrainian neo-Nazis and child-killers, backed up with warnings of the threat to Russia from shadowy NATO organizations. The people of Ukraine, she believes, can be saved only by wiping out their culture, their government and their language.

Her homepage is plastered with apocalyptic images of a burning White House in 'Fasciston DC'. The Ukrainian flag is renamed 'the Devil's Swastika' and Putin is 'Russia's savior'.

How did Alina, and hundreds of thousands of young Russians like her, become so consumed with online violence and hate?

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THE LEFT DID THIS TO OUR COUNTRY

clap-for-oIn the last 20 years, the Left has boasted that it has gained control of most of America institutions of power and influence—the corporate boardroom, media, Silicon Valley, Wall Street, the administrative state, academia, foundations, social media, entertainment, professional sports, and Hollywood.

With such support, between 2009-17, Barack Obama was empowered to transform the Democratic Party from its middle-class roots and class concerns into the party of the bi-coastal rich and subsidized poor—obsessions with big money, race, a new intolerant green religion, and dividing the country into a binary of oppressors and oppressed.

The Obamas entered the presidency spouting the usual left-wing boilerplate (“spread the wealth,” “just downright mean country,” “get in their face,” “first time I’ve been proud of my country”) as upper-middle-class, former community activists, hurt that their genius and talents had not yet been sufficiently monetized.

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FIGHTING DEM MONSTERS WHO ARE USING RATIONALES ONCE USED AGAINST THEM

slay-the-monsterDemocrats are adopting arguments and rationales once used against the left to silence or jail them. Pundits and politicians are becoming the very thing that they have long condemned in this age of rage. It is realization of Nietzsche’s monster theory.

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.” Those words from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche capture the fear that the struggle against the ideas and people we oppose will twist us into the very thing we hate.

For Democrats, that moment has come in an age of rage against former President Donald Trump in particular and conservatives in general. It’s an age when reason and restraint are strangers.

In various areas, Democrats have embraced repellent concepts in the effort to silence or even jail their opponents. What is most striking is that legal arguments now used by the left were once used against the left.

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WYOMING’S “POOP” RAMPAGE IS AN INSIGHT INTO TODAY’S HOMELESS

wyoming-hotel-trashedThe headline at the Daily Mail was eye-catching: “Squatters take over Wyoming city: Vagrants leave millions of dollars worth of damage to motel and 500lbs of human feces in downtown area - as Casper fights off a homeless invasion.”

It was an image at odds with how we think of Wyoming; that is, a clean, naturally beautifully conservative state. But the homeless plague is everywhere, and the situation in Casper reminds us that most of today’s homeless are not just ordinary people down on their luck; they are dysfunctional drug addicts who are the inevitable result of 60 years of leftist drug policies.

The Daily Mail has the details behind the headline:

Squatters have taken over a Wyoming city after some left millions of dollars worth of damage to a motel and others left 500lbs of feces in the downtown area.

Casper, the second-largest city in the state, is home to 60,000 residents but now also has about 200 homeless people.

Some have seized various properties that are empty or abandoned, including an abandoned Econo Lodge motel that hasn’t operated since November.

Casper Mayor Bruce Knell described the extent of destruction as akin to ‘third-world-country stuff’.

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