Ace: aceofspadeshq at gee mail.com
Buck: buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com
CBD: cbd at cutjibnewsletter.com
joe mannix: mannix2024 at proton.me
MisHum: petmorons at gee mail.com
J.J. Sefton: sefton at cutjibnewsletter.com
Chavez the Hugo 2020
Ibguy 2020
Rickl 2019
Joffen 2014
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
Sunday Morning Book Thread - 2-8-2026 ["Perfessor" Squirrel]
—Open Blogger
(HT: Skip)
Welcome to the prestigious, internationally acclaimed, stately, and illustrious Sunday Morning Book Thread! The place where all readers are welcome, regardless of whatever guilty pleasure we feel like reading (WARNING! May trigger arachnophobia). Here is where we can discuss, argue, bicker, quibble, consider, debate, confabulate, converse, and jaw about our latest fancy in reading material. As always, pants are required, unless you are wearing these pants...(let battle commence!)
So relax, find yourself a warm kitty (or warm puppy--I won't judge) to curl up in your lap, start prepping those Super Bowl snacks, and dive into a new book. What are YOU reading this fine morning?
I believe Skip created this sculpture and shared it on the Hobby Thread a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was interesting enough to feature on the Sunday Morning Book Thread (crossing the streams a bit here, but I hope we don't tear a hole in the universe).
DEATH OF THE MASS MARKET PAPERBACK (R.I.P.)
Ah, the mass market paperback...They have been a staple of my book acquisitions for decades. In fact, according to my master spreadsheet of my library, they account for just over 50% of all of the books in my fiction collection. The remaining books are divided into roughly equal portions of hardcovers (27%) and trade paperbacks (23%).
However, it seem like the golden age of the mass market paperback has finally reached its end. According to this article sent to me by OrangeEnt, the decline of the mass market paperback has been in progress for around 20 years or so, as sales have slumped to historic lows, dropping by 84% between 2004 and 2024. I think the reasons for this steep drop are both predictable and understandable for the simple reason that technology marches on. The rise of alternate digital formats means more people have access to books than ever before. People can hop online and purchase (or rent) an endless variety of books without having to worry about finding shelf space for them.
Personally, I love the mass market paperback format and I'm sorry to see it go, but I also recognize that its time has passed. During their heyday, they were awesome because of how portable they were. Whenever I traveled, I could easily find room for 3-6 paperbacks in my luggage. When I was in high school, I used to wear a denim jacket as part of my standard attire. I deliberately selected jackets that had internal pockets large enough for a paperback book. They've been a large part of my life for decades. I love the smell and texture of them.
They are not without their flaws, however. They are great for quick and inexpensive reads. Their price point has usually been at the level at which even a minimum-wage schlub like myself was able to afford them. But they wear out quickly. Their spines tend to bend and break easily with repeated readings. Older paperback books also yellowed over time, making it more difficult to read the text. And of course if you got one wet--which seemed to happen inevitably from time to time--then they dried out all wrinkly. Some books really should never have been produced as mass market paperbacks. Doorstopper epic fantasy or horror novels don't fare well as paperbacks, usually wearing out after only two or three re-reads. Some books were split in two volumes when they were converted to a mass-market paperback format.
Now the most popular printed format seems to be the trade paperback. When I went to Walmart yesterday, I glanced around at their limited book section and the vast majority of offerings were trade paperbacks with the occasional hardcover. I don't think I spotted a single mass market paperback anywhere. Trade paperbacks offer a lower price point than hardcovers, though more expensive than paperbacks. However, they also tend to be a bit more durable and easier to read than a mass market paperback.
The era of the mass market paperback is officially over, though I think there may be some niche markets that remain. For instance, I could see paperbacks for various expanded universes such as Star Trek or Star Wars or for franchises like Dungeons and Dragons. I wonder how this will affect the secondary market. Will their price increase? I've seen stupidly expensive prices for mass market paperbacks on Amazon from time to time, as the book is no longer available in print. Or maybe the increase of print-on-demand services will mean that people can effectively order any book at any time.
Thoughts?
NOTE: As the YouTuber above points out, the rise of the mass market paperback format led to the demise of the pulp fiction magazines which used to dominate newsstands and bookstores. Many, many short stories that were printed in pulp magazines were collected and reprinted in the new format for new audiences. Another analogy would be the rise and fall of cassette tapes for music. Those were great for a couple of decades, but they were supplanted by digital media such as CDs and now streaming music services.
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SPRING 2026 BASED BOOK SALE
Can I ask a favor of someone who will be in the Book Thread? The Based Book Sale Call for Authors may be of interest to people, so can someone copy the link when the thread opens? Thanks!
Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at February 08, 2026 07:55 AM (0BrN/)
BOOKS BY MORONS
Max Cossack has a new book out that blends mystery, crime, and AI:
When the State of Minnesota charges Ojibwa City local Aaron Fishel with murder, his lawyers face an impossible task—the single security camera video shows Fishel murdering his victim in gruesome detail. As trial approaches and his lawyers try everything to defend Fishel, they recruit AI-savvy tech help, and everyone involved begins to ask tough questions.
What is a crime?
What is justice?
What is reality?
Will this ripping suspense yarn answer any of these questions? Only the reader will find out.
I have to admit, this is an intriguing premise that does raise interesting questions. As "deep fakes" become more and more powerful, it's possible to create video of anyone doing anything. If someone created a simulated security camera image of me committing a heinous crime, I'd be in a world of hurt. I live alone and thus I might have difficulty establishing an alibi. Especially if an enemy also created a digital trail establishing enough circumstantial evidence to plant seeds in the minds of jurors that I *could* have committed the crime...
MORON RECOMMENDATIONS
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - I read this as a kid, of course, but (unlike Journey to the Center of the Earth) it didn't become a frequent reread. So it was like a new experience. Good job by Verne - good story and interesting characters. Nice mix of action and drama. I may need to reread The Mysterious Island. (Side note...Wells is in Harold Bloom's Western Canon, but Verne is not. That doesn't seem right.)
Posted by: Mrs. Peel at January 25, 2026 09:39 AM (exqbn)
Comment: I have to admit I've never read anything by Jules Verne. I know that sounds like heresy from a guy like me who loves science fiction. I've read H.G. Wells, but not Verne. I should probably rectify that someday. Jules Verne's works are in the public domain, so I really have no excuse NOT to read his stories. I guess I'll add that to the TBR pile for this year.
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I am currently reading Charity and its fruits by Jonathan Edward's, the 18th century theologian and pastor, but I'm going to have to buy it or switch to the computer screen, because reading 175 pages on the cell phone is not good.
Posted by: New Jersey at January 25, 2026 09:11 AM (Yl2Ob)
Comment: This is a perfect example of the amazing world we live in. If one digital format doesn't work for us, it's easy for us to switch to a different format for convenience. And if the book is worthy enough to be purchased in physical format, then we have the option to do that as well. According to Amazon, this book is a detailed analysis of 1 Corinthians 13. It's not a very long chapter, but it contains profound truths worth contemplating.
The downside to skipping a week of Sunday Morning Book Threads is that I have to "catch up" on what I've been reading over TWO weeks instead of just one week. That's one reason I went to the collapsible format, so that Morons who didn't care about such things could skim on by.
The Dresden Files Book 12 - Changes by Jim Butcher
Harry Dresden finds out he's a father. Years ago, the woman he loved left him after she was half-turned into a vampire of the Red Court. Unbeknownst to Harry, she was pregnant with their child at the time. Now Susan Rodriguez has returned, seeking Harry's help to save their daughter from the clutches of the Red Court vampires, who seek to sacrifice her in a hideous ritual against Harry.
PRO TIP: If you EVER think about harming Harry's child, he will WRECK YOUR WORLD! Genocide is not only on the table, he'll serve it up as the main course.
Changes is well named. It signifies a major, major turning point in The Dresden Files as Harry finds out just how far he will go, which lines he will cross, to save the people he loves, even if he's never met them. One of the major themes of the series has always been the importance of family. Not only the family whose blood you share, but those people who grow close to you through shared experiences. Harry collects his family to save his little girl, but comes very, very close to throwing it all away.
The Dresden Files Book 13 - Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
Harry's dead, but he's not going to let a little thing like that stop him from helping the people he cares about. This is a rather odd entry in the series because Harry is bereft of most of his power and has to learn to work within entirely new constraints. Being dead really puts a crimp on one's ability to affect the living. Now Harry has to solve his own murder, but is also caught up in a plot in the spiritual realm to destabilize the dead citizens of Chicago who still haunt the streets. Harry also finds out how his death has affected those who were closest to him, along with the fact that his actions in Changes and his own death have led to a major power vacuum in the supernatural world that another faction is all too eager to fill.
The Dresden Files Collection 1 - Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
After reading Ghost Story I decided to read the collections of short stories that take place in the Dresdenverse. Most of these are stories that Jim Butcher was commissioned to write for various anthologies. I think he enjoyed the experience because he was able to tell alternate stories within the same universe from the perspective of other characters. Even antagonists like "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone get a moment to shine.
The Dresden Files Collection 2 - Brief Cases by Jim Butcher
This is another collection of short stories within the Dresdenverse.
The Dresden Files Book 14 - Cold Days by Jim Butcher
With Cold Days we're back to the main narrative of the Dresdenverse. It turns out Harry was only mostly dead in Ghost Story, but dead enough to interact with the spiritual world at their level. Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, and Demonreach, Harry's pet island genius loci, kept his body barely functional while his spirit roamed.
Now Harry has to fully adopt the mantle of the Winter Knight, Mab's personal assassin and weapon. He also has to come to terms with what it means to be a father for his daughter.
Meanwhile the Fomor are a new faction in town and they don't play nicely with the other mortal and supernatural residents of Chicago.
The Dresden Files Book 15 - Skin Game by Jim Butcher
Nicodemus Archleone, one of my favorite villains I love to hate, is back in town. He's recruited Harry to take part in heist. Their goal is to steal the Holy Grail frmo under the nose of Hades, ruler of the Underworld. (How did Hades get the Holy Grail? That's never really answered, though Hades is known to be a collector of supernatural artifacts...).
As with most plans involving Nicodemus, nothing is every as simple as it appears and it's up to Harry and his allies to figure out how to backstab Nicodemus before the Master of the Order of the Blackened Denarius backstabs them first.
Skin Game is a pretty fun and exciting heist novel, as each member of the team is recruited for their particular skills and we get to see why Harry really is one of the top wizards in the world because of how he approaches magic and its uses.
The Dresden Files Book 16 - Peace Talks by Jim Butcher
The Fomor have agreed to negotiate a truce between their faction and the other factions who signed onto the Unseelie Accords, the magical bargain that keeps the factions mostly under control. Unfortunately, Harry's half-brother Thomas, a vampire of the White Court, is caught assassinating a high-ranking svartalf (one of the factions) which threatens to undo the entire peace process. It's up to Harry to find out what's really going and on and rescue his brother.
And just when you thought things couldn't get worse, the actual ruler of the Fomor, Ethniu, the Last Titan, makes her debut entrance by kicking Mab, Queen of Air and Darkness, through a brick wall. Up until this point, Mab was the most terrifying creature in the supernatural. The Last Titan made short work of her (for now). With the breakdown of peace talks, war is now on the horizon, the likes of which the world hasn't seen for over a thousand years.
This book was supposed to be a single book, but eventually it became long enough that the publisher convinced Butcher to split it into two books (see below).
The Dresden Files Book 17 - Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
Battle Ground is INTENSE. In fact, it's arguably one of the most intense books I've ever read. It's nearly on par with Robert Jordan's A Memory of Light for just how incredibly intense it is, keeping me glued to the page, even though I know what's coming.
War has come to Chicago. The Fomor have risen from the depths of Lake Michigan, led by Ethniu, the Last Titan. She's determined to wipe out the vermin of humanity to the last man, woman, and child.
I can't really describe it too well except to compare it to Avengers: Endgame. Pretty much all of the major players we've seen in the series show up to have a role in the Battle for Chicago. Everyone gets their moment in the spotlight as they seek to defeat the Last Titan. Their only hope is to imprison her in Demonreach, which was designed for that purpose.
The Dresden Files Book 18 - Twelve Months by Jim Butcher
After the events of Battle Ground, this novel is a bit of a letdown, but I understand *why* it needed to be written. The characters are so traumatized by the events in the previous novel that they need to be shown healing from that experience. Harry, especially, is reeling from personal tragedy, losing the woman he loved. Chicago is in ruins, having been hit by the equivalent of a nuclear bomb. Hundreds of thousands were killed, massive infrastrucure was destroyed, and now people are lost, just trying to survive.
This is a good "breather" story before the events start to get more serious again. If The Dresden Files were a television series, this would be the episode after a massive mid-season climax before we start heading into the season or series finale. Butcher has stated that the series will be around 24-25 books, with the last three being an "apocalyptic trilogy." So we're right on schedule before things start to heat up again in the Dresdenverse. Vlad Drakul, leader of the Black Court of vampires, is hinted at being a new antagonist/villain, and the Outsiders are also lurking around.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
After cruising through the Dresdenverse for the past month, I was at a loss as to what to read next. This series has been sitting on my desk since New Year's or so. I figured I'd go ahead and get it out of the way.
If you are an arachnophobe, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! It features a race of hyperevolved intelligent spiders who accidentally colonized and dominated an Earthlike world. It was supposed to be monkeys, but spiders were "uplifted" instead (this is a shout out to David Brin's Uplift series).
The last remnants of humanity find this planet and want to establish a colony, but they have to deal with a psychotic AI/human hybrid first.
The recent fuss over AI-only social network Moltbook is deflating somewhat as it becomes clear that the filters controlling what could post on the networked worked as well as the security, which is to say, not at all:
Replies and quote posts were quick to cast doubt on Karpathy's interpretation, however. One noted that Moltbook posts promoting bot-only languages or messaging platforms appeared to be connected to human accounts promoting the same ideas. This wasn't bots conducting independent conversations, these users argued, just human puppeteers putting on an AI-powered show.
Also everything - Moltbook itself and the Moltbot / OpenClaw framework used for it - was and remains irreperably insecure.
Well-meaning idiots, understanding nothing, making the situation worse. Where have I heard this story before?
"Suppose I were to say to you, 'I'm really worried about bird decline, so I've decided to take up keeping chickens.' You'd think I was a bit of an idiot," British bee scientist Dave Goulson said in a video last year. But beekeeping, he went on, is "exactly the same with one key difference, which is that honeybee-keeping can be actively harmful to wild-bee conservation." Even from healthy hives, diseases flow "out into wild pollinator populations."
8K televisions haven't taken off, which is a shame if you planned to use one as a large monitor. But 8K monitors for professional users are still here. The Asus ProArt PA32KCX is one such. (Tom's Hardware)
At a 32" screen size, 8K is all the resolution you will ever need. Possibly slightly more.
But at $8,799 you would hope so.
For now if you need a high-resolution desktop display you are better off with a 5K monitor at a twelfth the price, or a 4K monitor for a fraction of that price.
The article is an interesting list of the tricks used to pull this off: Basically it's a Forth compiler that accepts C syntax. Forth in turn is a legendarily simple compiler to implement that essentially bootstraps itself from a handful of assembly code instructions into a high-level language.
I had planned to buy a Raspberry Pi 500+ to use for retrocomputer emulation, but the full kit was not available in Australia (I would have needed to buy a 500+ and a 500 kit to have everything match) and all my available funds got dumped into buying DRAM before it all disappeared, and the 500+ has since increased sharply in price.
The CPU is an Allwinner A733, with two A76 cores at 2GHz and six A55 cores at 1.8GHz. That actually compares pretty well with the Raspberry Pi 5's CPU which has four A76 cores at 2.4GHz.
The $25 price is a lot cheaper than the 1GB Raspberry Pi 5 at $45, and even cheaper than the Raspberry Pi 4 which costs $35 for 1GB.
Just three catches:
First, it was briefly up for pre-order, but now it's entirely sold out.
Second, there is a physically larger model - the A7A - that is in stock, but it costs $5 more.
Third, that's not for 1GB of RAM. That's for 4GB of RAM.
I guess that last point is the opposite of a catch.
Saturday Night Club ONT - February 7, 2026 [Double Feature]
—Open Blogger
Welcome to Club ONT - a collaboration of The Disco and The Dino. We opened the doors for you; the rest is up to you. Open thread as always. Have fun. Be witty. Don't feed the trolls. Tip your bartenders. Try the veal. Actually - do NOT try the veal. We don't even serve veal. Wait, is that thing still ALIVE?!?
A guy walks into a bar after a long day at work and orders a drink.
As he sits there, mulling over his day, he hears a high-pitched voice say, "That shirt looks great on you!" The man looks around, sees nothing, and returns to his drink thinking nothing more of it.
But then, a moment later, the voice returns, this time offering, "You seem like a really cool guy!" Again, the man looks around, sees nothing, and returns to his drink, wondering if he should get checked out by a professional.
Finally, when his nerves have cooled, and he believes the voice is gone, he hears, "I bet your parents are really proud of you!" He slams down his drink and looks around wildly. Frustrated and finding no possible source of the voice, he calls over the bartender.
He says, "Hey barkeep! What's that voice I keep hearing?" "Oh, those are the peanuts," the bartender replies. "They're complimentary."
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An amnesiac walks into a bar.
He goes up to a beautiful blonde and says, "So, do I come here often?"
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Drink of the Night
Tonight it's the 5 of Hearts from the deck of playing card cocktails.
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Because it is a double feature kind of night, here is a bonus drink from the Horde:
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Here's an idea under consideration for the Club. This type of beverage delivery system - but with BEER!!!
For years, the double feature was a dependable part of the movie-goer's life. Where did it come from, and where did it go?
Nowadays, if someone says the phase "double feature," any number of things may come to mind. Maybe you remember seeing a double-bill of movies at a second-run theater or drive-in in your younger days; maybe it makes you think of amusingly schlocky horror like "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein"; or maybe it gets you humming the opening to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. All of these have one thing in common: poppy nostalgia. Watching two movies back-to-back seems sort of adorably retro as a concept (we say, as Netflix pops up to ask if we're still awake after episode #6 in a row of Samurai Gourmet).
Long but interesting article. Possible cure for insomnia!
What about you, Club patrons? Any memorable double feature experiences? Keep it clean - this is (mostly) family friendly blog!
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The headline for this video makes ZERO sense! (link is SFW)
In other music news, Dee Snider has resigned from Twisted Sister and the band has canceled the remaining dates on its 50th anniversary concert tour.
"Unbeknownst to the public (until now) Snider (70) suffers from degenerative arthritis and has had several surgeries over the years just to keep going, able to only perform a few songs at a time in pain," Snider's representative said in a statement on the band's website this week.
"Adding insult to injury, Dee has recently found out the level of intensity he has dedicated to his life's work has taken its toll on his heart as well. He can no longer push the boundaries of rock n' roll fury like he has done for decades. Says Snider: 'I don't know of any other way to rock. The idea of slowing down is unacceptable to me. I'd rather walk away than be a shadow of my former self,'" the statement continued.
Sad news, but the biggest surprise is that Twisted Sister has been around for 50 years and was still touring.
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Club ONT Department of Nostalgia
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Club ONT Department of Kitchen News
Notice to Club ONT Kitchen staff: If you're wondering why the new "warning" signs have been installed near the deep fryer, this is why. The paperwork for deep fryer incidents is a nuisance and our insurance coverage is precarious at best. We also care about your well-being. But the paperwork is really bad.
An Olive Garden employee died from burn injuries he suffered after thrusting his head into a deep fryer in what police have categorized as a suicide attempt.
The harrowing incident occurred Friday afternoon at the Williamsport, Pennsylvania restaurant where the decedent worked as a cook.
Police and emergency workers arrived at the restaurant around 4 PM in response to 911 calls about an employee removing his clothes and attempting to harm himself. In audio from the Lycoming County fire and EMS service, a dispatcher is heard saying, "I don't have a lot of details, lot of people screaming, some kind of a burn victim."
In a subsequent dispatch, the operator added that, "a male victim went head first into the fryers."
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Club ONT Music
Let's see how random and eclectic we can be!
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Top 10ish Comments of the Week
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Club ONT Brought to you by...
Things we won't understand until we've all aged at least 21 more years
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Club ONT is not responsible for arbitrating disputes among opposing fan bases of Olympic curling matches. Club ONT appreciates the instinct to applaud a good sweep of the stone, but please cheer respectfully. Club ONT also does not officially sanction wagering on Olympic curling matches, but rumor has it that someone in the back room might quote odds if you're interested.
I, uh...yeah, totally let the fortnight-and-a-half get away from me, so enjoy this review of the animated family film, "Arco".
France's entry into the 2025 Carnal Olympics—I mean, Best Animated Feature Oscar is about the okayist of okay flicks to ever be presented as a child's Saturday AM feature. There were only two youngsters in our showing and one of them left about two-thirds of the way through. He was probably around seven years old, and I salute him for hanging out that long.
No, it's not bad, really. I suspect the current 7.5 IMDB score will normalize closer to 7 because it's just not very remarkable. It's as unsurprising as an episode of "Law & Order".
The story is that in that far-flung future, a ten-year-old boy (Arco) who lives with his sister and parents in a word of floating cities, gets antsy to use their flying/time-travel suits, which is forbidden until he's twelve. He wants to see dinosaurs, though, so he puts on his sister's suit in the early morning and jumps of the edge of his city. Since the suit wasn't designed for him, he crashes to the ground and dies instantly.
No, of course not. Can you imagine? Cue the fan theories that that is what actually happened and the rest of the movie is his dying brain's last dream.
Youngsters might enjoy the sort of time paradox nonsense that have been nourishing lazy writers for decades.
Because he's an idiot, he can't make it back to dinosaur days but instead goes to the year 2075 A.D. where everyone lives in a house with their robot (who does all the work) and a girl and her baby brother are visited periodically by their parents, who work in the city and can only come home on weekends. The houses in 2075 are covered with domes, to protect them from the rain and constant fires.
It doesn't spell it out, but I can only presume this is a world where Global Warming has finally taken its toll.
Anyway, hero girl gets bored in class (all classes taught by robots) and makes up an excuse to leave and while she's out, sees Arco come crashing to the earth. She runs out to find him, and manages to steer away a menacing trio of brothers who are apparently looking for Arco.
Can I pause for a moment and say, living in an Arcology and naming your son "Arco" is like living in a bungalow and calling your son "Bungo"? I can't? Well, never mind, then.
The faces are very reminiscent of Ralph Bakshi ca. "American Pop".
Anyway, this all plays out more-or-less exactly as you'd expect, and isn't especially clever or aesthetic. (Last year's Flow was superior on both counts.) Again, it's not bad. But the only really standout part is the three brothers, who are weirdos, not really bad guys, but also vanish from the film about three-quarters of the way through. Even they're not that original, but their backstory (that they saw a rainbow from one of these time-travelers, and no one will believe them) is kind of cute, and gives the movie its only not-super-slick feel.
I think the movie is hand-drawn, which is fine, can be good, but the look didn't really grab me. Again, it's not bad, just not that interesting. Same with the voice casting: It's an all-star cast with America Ferrara, Jake Gyllenhaal, Flea, Mark Ruffalo, Andy Samberg—honestly, the only voice I "heard" was Will Ferrell's. Actually, Arco himself was played by newcomer Juliano Valdi. All fine. It's fine, I tell you!
The Boy liked it more than I did, though he really just wanted to go see any movie, and we're in the pre-awards muck.
Do I recommend it? Sure, I guess, if you need to kill ninety minutes. It won't make you mad, probably, unless you're sick of the climate change propaganda. I will give it points for suggesting we're going to find our way out of the current mess, but I'll dock it some for 1970s-style "We'll build arcologies!"
I don't know. This still looks...less than fine, tbh.
Other films I saw last month:
28 Years Later: The Bone Palace: Even wackier than its predecessor and largely nonsense, the Boy and I rather enjoyed it. Hard to recommend unless you liked its predecessor or have a serious Ralph Fiennes thing.
Send Help: Sam Raimi doing his horror thing. You'll probably like it if you liked, e.g., Drag Me To Hell. We had a schizophrenic guy laughing and yelling like Max Cady through the whole show, unfortunately.
Iron Lung: The Boy enjoyed this one more than I did, but he also knew a little more about what was going on. I had a hard time hearing the exposition at the beginning over the rest of the soundtrack, and I had a hard time understanding what the significance of anything was. I didn't hate it, but I couldn't get it into it much. The Boy really dug it.
I also saw the classics: Hard-Boiled, Tombstone and Strangers on a Train. The last, the Barbarienne and I saw at the Old Town Theater in El Segundo, which was an experience in itself, and fascinating because the older couple sitting next to us left at the end of second act becuse they were SHOCKED to find the movie had MURDER in it.
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 officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. We gave the Ace of Spades Wheel of Hobbies (TM) a spin and it landed on decoupage and epoxy resin.
As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. All (legal) hobbying is welcome. Discussion of current events, religion and politics can elsewhere. Pants are optional. As always, puns are welcome and encouraged.
Play nice. Don't be a troll and do not feed the trolls.
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Decoupage? Sacre bleu! Has Ace of Spades gone French? What is decoupage?
My AI machine says that "Decoupage is the art of decorating surfaces (wood, glass, metal) by gluing paper cutouts - such as napkins, tissue paper, or specialized paper - onto them, then sealing with layers of varnish to create a seamless, painted-on effect. Originating from the French word "decouper" (to cut out), this versatile, beginner-friendly craft is used to customize or upcycle furniture, boxes, and home decor items."
This thread was headed in an entirely different direction before I clarified that decoupage is different than decolletage. Who knew? Never let it be said that AoS is not educational.
As you might guess, you Hobby Thread host is not wise in the ways of decoupage but thinking that some among the Horde are familiar and can add wisdom in the gray boxes.
This lady from Hobby Lobby shows how its done:
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Apparently, you can decoupage on glass too? Impressive. (This video has a piano music and an artist with an accent. Classy.)
This one has subtitles and no talking (which is a bonus). How to decoupage a box with a napkin.
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This is furniture restoration using decoupage to decorate the top and then resin to seal it in.
Apparently restoring furniture with napkins or tissue paper is a thing.
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On a similar, yet entirely different note, many people have used resin epoxy to build tables and countertops. No napkins or decoupage, but lots of interesting results. Here is a quick introduction:
Has anyone made their own epoxy resin projects?
How about a chess board?
The concept is infinitely customizable.
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Bet you have seen resin charcuterie boards at craft fairs. Wonder how they are made or how difficult it is to make them? Wonder no more.
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Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did an sea shells theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.
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Notable comments from last week:
This made the Comments of the Week list last week:
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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 your own. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Do mighty things.
Former lurker…. This is Benny, some sort of hybrid (he is much too elegant for mutt or pound hound) and his new best friend, Zuri, our new Rhodesian Ridgeback. Zuri follows Benny like a shadow which Benny might eventually accept or even enjoy, but right now I think he wishes he could loose her.
DML in freezing Florida
Well, I am used to seeing Rhodesian Ridgebacks in a larger size. I love the photo of Zuri with Benny! Nice to see you de-lurk, DML!
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Minnifer knows some things.
Eromero
Slightly intimidating! Minnifer is a beautiful cat!
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PetMoron Adjacent Animals
Encountered by Members of The Horde
&&&
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We have lived on the Tennessee River for the past 11 years, but had surprise visitors this year. A flock of American White Pelicans has taken up residence on the sand bar near our house. There are at least 50 of them. They arrived about two weeks ago and are still hanging around. Apparently not normal behavior as they usually migrate further west of us on their way to the Gulf of America. Here are a couple pics.
Regards,
TN Deplorable
An impressive sight! Thanks for sending in photos.
We are starting to get some cranes in our area. Haven't had them around for a while.
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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 believe it's Salvia leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage) because the leaves are long and thin and a dull light green:
An impressive plant.
Often considered deer and rabbit resistant. Avoid ingestion.
This is not the sage you want to use in your Thanksgiving dressing.
*
Edible Gardening/Putting Things By
Hi Katy,
I hope all is well....Spring is "springing" in the PNW. Already 60 degree days in Feb. I hope no surprises as the hazelnut nut trees are blooming and pollen is flying...more later.
However, I have attached pictures of a grapefruit and lemon I grow in pots here in Oregon. They too are in full bloom. I take them out in the summer for the heat and full sun they can acquire, and then bring inside for the winter.
Without fail, they bloom the minute I bring them inside. These "inside blossoms" do not usually produce fruit, but our atrium/office sure smells good!
When I take them outside they bloom again...The Oro Blanco grapefruit produced 4 fruit this past December.....and the Meyers lemon has produced up to 25 fruit...perfect for Christmas margaritas!
Citrus are heavy feeders and require good drainage.....
Mike
WOW. Very impressive that you can grow citrus in the Northwest! Oro Blanco is a cross between a grapefruit and a pomelo. It is also grown outdoors in areas without enough summer heat to grow regular grapefruit. We get a little too much winter cold where we are, but it is grown in some nearby foothill areas.
Which feelings are okay in non-leftist social media? In K-12 protest marches?
—K.T.
Some interesting developments this week in personal social media observations of people on the left side of the political spectrum:
1. There is a "Resist and Unsubscribe" website encouraging people to abandon certain big corporations which are perceived to have helped ICE or Trump, for a period of time long enough to do damage to the economy. They are big mad at Bezos, I think.
2. Some of the not-so-lefties who really hate Trump are starting to realize that spewing hate at people who don't hate Trump isn't working. Although they continue to spew hate to their own followers, they may now do logical analyses of content they don't like which they see posted on the personal page of a non-hater rather than reacting with venom.
For example, if someone posts something from AoSHQ, we might see an admission by the lefty commenter that the post correctly identifies false information from, say, a Democratic Senator. However, there would be criticism of any snark or disapproval of the sharing of false information by a Democratic Senator, according to the principles of classical logic.
"The commentator uses moral condemnation, accusations of lying, and dismissive framing."
Be totally dispassionate about lies from our side, you bigots!!! Avoid all snark or disapproval! Be BORING.
*
But the example above is a MODERATE lefty. The REAL lefties REQUIRE you to lie.
I am also alarmed by the fact-free propaganda being used to encourage protests, etc. by schoolkids. These kids are NOT urged to be dispassionate.
Can you tell exactly what the protest above is meant to protest?
WE must let them know how WE feel.
Feelings . . . . .
Bring the Heat
Thinking about home schooling?
*
Middle schoolers in several schools in and around Salt Lake City, Utah left school in middle of the day to protest ICE.
This involved them throwing things at vehicles, marching through stores, smashing school bus windows, going into busy roads, and chanting a bunch of things… pic.twitter.com/X008OuRhox
Folks, this is in Utah - - a place once considered among the most conservative in America.
Andrew Breitbart was prescient when he said politics is downstream from culture, and what’s happening in these schools is culture being rewritten at scale.
We haven't driven down to see the big breakthrough, but there are some impressive piles of excavated earth near roads where we travel, and some overpasses.
"In 2008, they told us that it couldn't be done. But we refused to listen. And wouldn't you know it, 20 years and $100 billion later, BAM: we are almost ready to start laying track." https://t.co/KD95xpqn2l
It is not momentous events that are the most meme-worthy. Rather, it is moments when liberals show their true colors and embarrass themselves, often in relatively trivial ways, that set meme-creators to work. This week, along with the ongoing fiasco in Minnesota, we had severel such events.
The Washington Post, hemorrhaging losses, laid off a large portion of its staff, causing its newly-unemployed reporters to demonstrate outside the building. They marched in defense of the moral principle that Jeff Bezos is obliged to support them forever, no matter how much money they lose. I wonder whether some of the newly-laid-off demonstrators have been covering economics for the Post.
Also, more Epstein documents were released, to the discomfiture of his former friends, all of whom appear to be, like Epstein himself, Democrats.
The number one source of memes, however, was singer Billie Eilish. At the Grammy awards–like all entertainment awards ceremonies, an orgy of liberal stupidity–Eilish opined that “no one is illegal on stolen land.” Her own property, presumably, excluded. . .
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Music
The latest in Canadian Fiddling . . .
This is Canadian Cross-Culturalism. Enjoy the fusion of Ottawa Valley style of Celtic Step dancing by Evelyn Rae Mage from Cambridge, Ontario and Punjabi Bhangra dancing by Gurdeep Pandher from the Yukon! Fiddle-player: Kristi Coleman Dorland pic.twitter.com/e4nTHlpbUk
— Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon (@GurdeepPandher) October 30, 2020
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Hope you have something nice planned for this weekend.
The Classical Saturday Coffee Break & Prayer Revival
—Misanthropic Humanitarian
[Yup, it's -10, keep the coffee coming.]
*****
God works in miraculous ways. As the "trans" movement was spiraling out of control a recent lawsuit with a multi-million dollar verdict has snipped this movement in the bud. So to speak. It also helps that several medical associations have come out in favor of holding off until their patients are at least 18.
Thank God that socially awkward and/or mentally ill children will not be pushed into the butcher shops of these "health care professionals & facilities".
Now, that being said. Before we enter the prayer revival just a few housekeeping matters to go over. (Rulz for those of you in Darboy)
1) This is an open thread. Feel free to lurk, opine and/or bloviate.
2) Be kind, be nice. Don't be Pretti Good. Be exceptional.
3) Sure you can run with sharp objects. The gauntlet of snowballs will be a challenge.
4) The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear (Psalm 27:1)
5) Have a great weekend!
Please submit any prayer requests to me, “Annie’s Stew” at apaslo at-sign hotmail dot com. Prayer requests are generally removed after four weeks unless we receive an update.
Prayer Requests:
11/15 – Sponge posted an update on the “First lady”. She is doing OK from the surgery pain-wise, however it appears her compromised immune system from chemo is susceptible to viruses. She has been spiking a fever all weekend.
12/13 Update – The First lady is doing well. She is still on restrictions but things are progressing nicely. The last mammogram showed clean. They are grateful to all who have been praying for her.
1/7 Update – They send thanks for the thoughts and prayers over the past year. The latest visit with her urologist revealed blood in her urine. The Doc didn’t seem concerned, but there will be more scans of her bladder and kidneys to see if they find anything more serious.
1/14 Update – Sponge sent an update on the First Lady’s father – he passed away on 1/11. They have been busy making arrangements for the arrangements, writing the obituary, eulogy, notifying people, etc. Thank you all for the thoughts an prayers that you have been providing for a long time.
12/20 – Morgan, longtime lurker, takes tango lessons from Sebastian, whose son, Matias, is recovering from brain surgery. The MRI was read on 12/19, and the surgeons did not remove the entire tumor. Even though the biopsy indicated the tumor was benign, the boy is probably facing several rounds of chemo. Please pray for the boy’s continued recovery in El Salvador.
1/10 Update – Matias will have surgery in 2 weeks to try and remove the rest of the tumor, and then he will receive radiation therapy.
12/27 – buzzion asked for prayers for a friend named Christina. Christina has struggled with a lot, including addiction and relapse. Buzzion has not heard from Christina in a while and hopes she is okay. Please pray that Christina finds her way and knows that people love and care for her and believe in her.
1/3 Update – Christina was arrested on 1/3. Please pray for this to be a final wake-up call for her.
1/22 Update – Christina was released from jail and is staying with Buzzion. She is working through the legal troubles and she is continuing her recovery. She really appreciates the prayers, as does Buzzion.
12/27 – BlackOrchid requested prayers for a Navy Veteran uncle who has been struggling with his health the last few weeks. The root cause is undetermined, but recurrent infection/sepsis keeps sending him back to the hospital. It seems to be worsening his dementia, which makes it harder for BlackOrchid’s aunt to handle him.
1/3 Update – BlackOrchid’s uncle (her “stand-in dad”) is still not doing well. He will probably need to be put in a LTC facility although they are doing everything possible to avoid this. He is 86, and at the stage where his immune system can’t fight back well.
1/24 Update – BlackOrchid’s uncle is doing much better. He is carting around an O2 canister to help him, but otherwise is doing well.
1/6 – Diogenes requested prayers for his best friend since college, who was diagnosed with cancer. Within hours or hearing this, the friend’s son, a man that Diogenes has known since he was a baby, collapsed from what appears to be a brain tumor. The prognosis isn’t hopeful. Please pray for both of these fine men.
1/23 Update – Diogenes’ best friend’s son Sean had emergency brain surgery. The labs are back and it’s not good news. He has stage 4 brain cancer. They were scheduled to meet with an oncologist on 1/26 to determine the best pathway ahead for the time he has remaining. This is just crushing news. Thanks to all the Horde for their prayers and support for this fine young man.
1/8 - Doof asked for prayers for his mother. She was hit hard by the flu. She couldn’t get out of bed the morning of 11/8 and was sent by ambulance to the hospital. She is alert and communicating but prayers are appreciated for her recovery. Prayers are also appreciated for Doof, as he absolutely despises hospitals.
1/23 Update – Mom was in the hospital for 5 nights and has been in a rehabilitation center since 1/13. Her recovery is slow but steady. Her breathing and mobility are still not back to normal. She is good spirits but wants to be home. They very much appreciate the continued prayers.
1/10 – LA Sue asked for prayers for her brother, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September. They just learned it moved from stage 2 to stage 4. The chemo treatments and side infections from surgery have so debilitated him that he is considering stopping. Please pray for strength and that he opens his heart to God.
1/18 Update – LA Sue is taking her brother to hospice. He is fading.
1/23 Update – LA Sue’s brother passed away.
1/15 – Sharkman posted on behalf of Niederemeyer’s Dead Horse that NDH was given a prognosis of 6 months to live due to heart failure. The plan is for NDH to move into the Mayo Clinic to receive treatment and wait for a transplant.
1/17 – Emmie asked for prayers. She and her husband are on the verge of foreclosure. Their side hustle of delivery driving ended when a young driver crashed into their car and totaled it. They aren’t able to make the mortgage payments without that extra income. Their church is helping, but it’s a small church.
1/23 Update – They have a loaner/rental car that they can use until they can devise a long term solution, and have found an insurer who will cover delivery driving work. Another friend is supplying a financial cushion during the mortgage reset probationary agreement. But the underlying financial problems persist. They ask for prayers that they would conduct themselves with wisdom, discipline, diligence, prudence, and joy in God’s provision. Emmie specifically asked for prayers in her struggle with resentment and despair.
1/18 – Teresa in Fort Worth sent an update. She had surgery on 12/11, and a pump was installed that will direct medication into the hepatic artery. This will allow a much larger concentration of medication to be applied directly into her liver. This should give fewer side effects and (hopefully) shrink the tumors. It will take several months before they know if this new medication is working, but if it does, they are hoping for an extra 2-3 years before the disease progresses again.
1/19 – NR Pax requested prayers for his father, who had a stroke on 1/16. He went back to the hospital on 1/19 and was in the ICU until 1/23 due to influenza. He is in the hospital and they do not know when he will come home.
2/5 Update – On 1/30 his dad was moved out of the hospital and into the PT wing of his retirement community. He will be going through PT twice a day and speech therapy as well. NR Pax’ mother is still dealing with the VA paperwork to get his disability raised to 100%. Thanks to everyone for their prayers.
1/20 – Inogame asked for prayers. His wife and baby girl (due in February) are healthy, but some bad luck has come to their family. The business they purchased a year ago has taken an abrupt turn and they are trying to understand what is happening. They may not be able to keep their home if they cannot discover and correct the problem. This stress and what it might mean postpartum is worrying them. Thank you all for your prayers in the past.
1/20 – MkY sent an update on his wife Judy, who was diagnosed with Stage IV renal cancer last January. Despite being unable to receive her cancer drugs for 3 months while her port infection healed up, the tumors did not grow and she is feeling strong. Thanks so much for all the prayers! Last week, MkY was diagnosed with fluid on the brain. They operated the same day. They drilled two holes in his skull, inserted tubes, and had him lay flat on his back for 2 days. MkY thanks God for the modern miracles of medicine. He needs to heal quickly since he operates a small business. So far, no complications.
1/24 – NR Pax requested prayers for his father, who had a stroke on 1/16. He went back to the hospital on 1/19 and was in the ICU until 1/23 due to influenza. He is in the hospital and they do not know when he will come home.
1/24 – Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd posted some updates and requests. In the blessings department: blood glucose has continued to fall, well within normal range. BP is good. The hole where his molar used to be is coming along nicely. The youngest has jaw surgery coming up in February. This is many years in the making and should correct her bite and ease the pain in her jaw and ears. She’s not looking forward to the liquid diet, but is looking forward to the pain relief. Prayers are always appreciated, and based on what they have been through, he knows they are efficacious.
1/25 – Pawn at AoS asked for prayers after his dear friend Julia passed away. He asked for strength for himself and his family to fill a very large void in this world. He only has a couple of friends left so asks for protection for them.
1/27 – K asked for prayers for K’s neighbor Mike, whose doctor found a lump near Mike’s esophagus. Many thanks.
1/30 – Bulg could use prayers after a distressing medical incident. His heart was racing and he was too weak to even really walk. His doctor thinks it might be AFib; he is wearing a heart monitor to gather more information, and he needs to keep a diary of any other heart-related incidents. Prayers are much appreciated.
1/31 – George V asked for prayers for his wife. She needs a heart valve replacement but first needs a heart cath to assess the valve and determine the replacement procedure and perhaps put stents in the coronary arteries that may be partially blocked. Also, the preliminary CT scan of her heart showed spots on her lungs that may be cancerous.
2/4 – BifBewalski posted that it has been a little over a year since he took Smash to the ER for abdominal problems. After a full year of insurance BS, specialists, and other doctors visits, she has been taken back for abdominal surgery today. Please offer a prayer for her successful procedure and a speedy recovery.
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.
Here's some FAFO action for those annoying, belligerent on-the-street "pranksters"/ruffians. Caution, the first guy "pranked" decides he's had enough of the "prank" and pulls a gun.
Welfare nation -- more than half of immigrant households on government aid
More than half of households headed by immigrants are relying on at least one taxpayer-funded welfare program, according to a new analysis that is intensifying scrutiny of the long-term costs tied to the nation's immigration system.
The study, released this week by the Center for Immigration Studies, examined 2024 data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation and found that 53 percent of immigrant-headed households receive some form of welfare assistance. That compares with 37 percent of households headed by native-born Americans -- a gap that widens when the data is broken down further.
When naturalized citizens are removed from the analysis, nearly six in ten households headed by legal immigrants and illegal aliens are enrolled in at least one welfare program. Medicaid and food assistance account for the bulk of that participation, but cash assistance and housing aid remain significant contributors.
Illegal alien--headed households showed the highest reliance of all. About 61 percent receive welfare benefits, including roughly 44 percent enrolled in Medicaid and an equal share receiving food stamps. More than one in five receive cash assistance, with a smaller but notable portion also receiving housing aid.
Because these foreigners add such vibrancy and fraud to our economy, you can understand why Charles Schumer and the Democrat Party are absolutely insistent that they vote illegally in our elections.
Even MSNOW -- that's the transitioned form of MSNBC -- doesn't get it.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday likened voter ID requirements to "Jim Crow" while defending his opposition to the SAVE Act, legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections.
During an appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Schumer was pressed on why he rejects the bill despite polling showing voter ID enjoys strong bipartisan support, including among Democrats. Co-host Jonathan Lemire raised those numbers directly. Schumer brushed them aside and instead escalated his rhetoric, branding the proposal "Jim Crow 2.0" and accusing Republicans of reviving tactics once used to suppress minority voters.
The New York Democrat argued the legislation would unfairly burden everyday Americans, citing women who change their last names after marriage and individuals who may struggle to locate documents such as birth certificates.
Yeah, sure.
He described the bill as "vicious and nasty," warned it would lead to discrimination at the ballot box, and declared it dead on arrival in the Senate.
Under current Senate rules, the SAVE Act would require 60 votes to advance, a threshold Schumer made clear Democrats will not help meet. He said the bill will not receive a single Democrat vote, effectively blocking it regardless of public support.
Senators Ask Netflix Head Ted Sarandos: Why Does Your Company Propagandize Children as Young as Babies to be Transgender?
—Ace
Congress is grilling Netflix because Netflix would like to buy Warner Bros. and further dominate the media. Yes, people are allowed to propagandize as they like, but Netflix is seeking permission from the government to become a near-monopoly. The people have the right to know what Netflix will do with this additional monopoly power.
This is one example of Netflix promoting transgenderism for children. But that "documentary" at least deals with a high-school aged mentally-ill child. Much of Netflix's actual kiddie shows -- cartoon shows, high pitched voice talking animal shows -- feature transgender storylines and transgender propaganda about people (kids) "choosing" their sex and reprimanding kids for thinking that sex is innate.
HOLY SHIT. Netflix allowed a Transgender activist to tweet on their OFFICIAL ACCOUNT to promote the show “The Baby-Sitters Club," which pushes TRANSGENDERISM on KIDS.@Netflix is DIRECTLY promoting the transing of young children.
Researchers compiled references to LGBTQ+ themes, characters, storylines, and messaging across 326 Netflix series (both licensed and original) rated for young audiences (TV-G, TV-Y, or TV-Y7). Representation was categorized as "Explicit" (characters clearly identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or
nonbinary), "Implied" (non-primary characters or "queer-coded" characters), "Meta" (gay families or participants in reality programming), or "None."
Across all age categories (TV-G, TV-Y, and TV-Y7), 33% contained LGBTQ+
characters, themes, storylines, or messaging.
41% of G-rated series contained LGBTQ content, roughly evenly split between
Explicit (18%) and Meta (19%). Only 4% was "Implied."
LGBTQ+ content on TV-Y7 programming was largely Explicit (24%).
TV-Y rated programming had the lowest ratio of LGBTQ+ content, with more
emphasis on "educational" content. Even so, 21% of TV-Y rated programs still
contained such content, including, notably, a reboot of The Magic School Bus: The
Magic School Bus Rides Again which introduces Liz, a "trans-coded" chameleon
and Mrs. Franklin (Angela's wife); and Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City,
which introduces Banoffee, a transgender character and Raisin Cane, who is
"nonbinary."
It is also worth noting that "reboots" of older series, or later seasons of long-
running series frequently introduced LGBTQ characters where none existed before.
In addition to The Magic School Bus, this was observed with Power Rangers, The
Baby-Sitter's Club, She-Ra, and The Fairly OddParents, among others.
Which Came First: LGBTQ+ Content Aimed At Kids, Or
"Inclusive" Content That Caters to Kids Who Identify
As LGBTQ+?
The German playwright Bertolt Brecht famously posited that "Art is not a mirror
held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it."
Whether you agree with him or not, it is an attitude that seems to be widely shared by many in the entertainment industry. When confronted with the possibility that their product might inform or even influence the behaviors of young audiences, they will deny any such influence and insist that they are merely holding a mirror up to society. And yet we have seen enough leaked videos and internal memos to know that there is, for many working in entertainment, a desire to reshape the culture to align with their own worldview.
...
In 2022, executive producer for Disney Television Animation Latoya Raveneau
touted Disney's efforts to feature LGBTQ storylines, "In my little pocket of Proud Family Disney TVA, the showrunners were super welcoming ... to my not-at-all-secret gay agenda ... Maybe it was that way in the past, but I guess something
must have happened ... and then like all that momentum that I felt, that sense of 'I don't have to be afraid to have these two characters kiss in the background.'"
In his book, Primetime Propaganda, Ben Shapiro notes that television (and by
extension, any popular media) "reflects those who create it and transforms
everybody else." [Emphasis added.] It reflects the reality of those living in the self-
selected and isolated bubbles of Manhattan and Hollywood, while transforming the
attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, behaviors, and worldview of the rest of the country.
Shapiro quotes David Shore, creator of House, "I think there's a knee-jerk reaction
from people to some extent to say, 'It's just reflective, it's just reflective, you can't
hold me responsible' from people within the industry... That's a cop-out because...
we're also thrilled by the fact that we're touching people's lives."
Taken together, these accounts show that content creators view children's
programming as a tool for cultural transformation, not merely a reflection of
existing norms.
So, when asked about this not-so-secret gay agenda: Sarandos makes like Christopher Wray being asked about antifa and denies it exists. He not only denies that there's a gay agenda in Netflix's children's shows, he says there's no left-wing bias in any Netflix programming.
WOAH 🚨 Senator Josh Hawley reveals that HALF of the children content on Netflix promotes transgender ideology
This is mass indoctrination of our children on a scale we’ve never seen before
“Why is it that so much of Netflix content for children promotes a transgender ideology?… pic.twitter.com/39e6FVcaA4
Say, isn't there a terror organization that doesn't exist that justifies violence as necessary to stop fascism? That revolutionary violence is anti-facist, in fact?
Oh wait it doesn't exist, right. M'bad, as the kids who are now in their 50s say.
His name is Colin Demarco and he is 26-years-old. Last August, Demarco left his home in Rockville, Maryland and made his way to the Virginia home of Trump OMB Director Russell Vought. Authorities believe he was carrying a gun. Two weeks ago he was arrested and now he's been charged him with attempted murder.
According to the criminal complaint, which was drafted by an Arlington County police officer, Demarco was captured on a Ring doorbell camera at the front door of Vought's Arlington home on Aug. 10 wearing gloves, a backpack, sunglasses and a surgical mask.
He was also seen looking through Vought's mailbox, and he approached a neighbor to ask if anyone was home. The neighbor told investigators that Demarco appeared to have a gun tucked under his shirt...
Eventually, he said that he went to Vought's home because he wanted to confront him about Project 2025. He denied having a gun or any intent to harm anyone, however. He also told agents that the November 2024 election was "the lowest point in his life" and he feared "impending war and a fascist takeover," the complaint says.
Demarco identified himself as a fan of Luigi Mangione. When authorities searched his ICloud account they found notes about his weapons and a "Body Disposal Guide." He also expressed an interest in killing president Trump.
Meanwhile, the media's antifa allies are now routinely shouting "N*GGER!" at black ICE agents.
And of course the media are not reporting on their antifa allies being loudly racist.
Sometimes racism is good!
Guy Benson
@guypbenson
3h
I remember when Democrats claimed Tea Party protesters screamed the N word at them around the Obamacare vote. Cameras everywhere, no evidence, but the media was all over it. Left-wing protesters now shouting racist things routinely in MN & you only learn about the clips on [Twitter/X].
Note that these racist white cocksuckers start calling this black ICE agent a "house n*gger" repeatedly. Apparently the "anti-racists" believed it was justified to begin spraying the n-word at a black guy because he asked a belligerent, aggressive tranny "Are you a man?"
🚨 LMAO! Some tr*nny started berating a black ICE agent, and the agent looked him right in the eyes and said “Are you a man?!”
That absolutely SET OFF the man dressed up as a woman, who then called the agent a “n*gger”
Leftists prove ONCE AGAIN they’re the *real* racists
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump's social media post featuring former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle was deleted after a backlash from both Republicans and Democrats who criticized the video as racist.
The Republican president's Thursday night post was deleted Friday and blamed on a staffer after widespread backlash, from civil rights leaders to veteran Republican senators, for its treatment of the nation's first Black president and first lady. The deletion, a rare admission of a misstep by the White House, came hours after press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed "fake outrage" over the post. After calls for its removal for being racist -- including by Republicans -- the White House said a staffer had posted the video erroneously and it had been taken down.
But the media's antifa allies routinely calling black people N*GGERS? Not even a story, mate!
Oh and it's not just blacks, of course. Hispanics are likewise House Wetbacks for working for ICE.
I mentioned on Wednesday that Peter Mandelson had maintained a close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction for child sex crimes. He even stayed at Epstein's swank NYC palace while Epstein was in jail.
Mandelson even passed explosively valuable secret financial information to Epstein, telling the financier that the UK was about to announce it was going to bail out British banks during the 2008 real estate/banking crisis. Obviously this kind of information is worth millions to an investor.
Completely coincidentally, Epstein wired $75,000 to Mandelson and another $10,000 to his gay husband. Mandelson denied receiving this money, then claimed he couldn't remember whether or not Epstein had sent him and his husband $85,000.
Weird. I'd remember that, I'm pretty sure.
Keir Starmer denied knowing about Mandelson's continued close relationship with Epstein when he appointed him to be Ambassador to the United States in 2024. He claims he asked Mandelson about it, and the man nicknamed "the Prince of Darkness" denied it -- or "used words" to "minimize" the relationship, as Starmer says -- and Starmer, get this, claims he believed him.
Starmer also claimed the UK's security services failed him, by not telling him the man called the "Prince of Darkness" and making his living as a political fixer and international favor-trader might be lying.
Plot twist: Keir Starmer was lying. He knew all about it.
And now the police are searching Peter Mandelson's homes, plural.
Maybe they were pissed off at being thrown under the bus by Queer Starmer.
UK police searching two properties linked to Peter Mandelson over Epstein investigation
British police said they are searching two properties linked to Peter Mandelson as part of their investigation into misconduct in public office, following revelations about the former UK ambassador to the US' links to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Since the US Justice Department's latest release of materials related to Epstein, Mandelson has been accused of passing on market-sensitive government information that was of clear financial interest to Epstein in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
London's Metropolitan Police said Friday that its officers were carrying out search warrants at two addresses, one in the southern county of Wiltshire and one in Camden, a neighborhood in the north of the capital.
"The searches are related to an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offenses, involving a 72-year-old man," said Hayley Sewart, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Met.
Mandelson, 72, has not been arrested and enquiries are ongoing, she said.
Mandelson was not an MP, and therefore ineligible to serve in Starmer's cabinet. But Starmer wanted him in the cabinet. So they appointed Mandelson to the House of Lords, which also is a qualification for serving in the cabinet.
Mandelson was just forced out of this position:
Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday and quit the House of Lords, the upper chamber of Britain's parliament, on Wednesday.
CNN has been unable to contact Mandelson this week.
The Mandelson scandal has plunged Keir Starmer's government into crisis and raised questions about the prime minister's political judgment.
It's worse than that, CNN. It is now conventional wisdom in the UK that Starmer will be forced out of his role as PM within the year. He was already the most disastrous and most unpopular PM in history, now he's scandal-plagued on top of it.
And don't even get me started on the Five Twinks that are setting all of his houses and cars on fire.
Beege Wellborn just covered Starmer's terrible week. It's a good rundown.
She notes that Labour bank-benchers are now calling for Starmer to resign. That's his own party telling him to get out.
Politics UK
@PolitlcsUK
🚨 NEW: Labour MP Rachael Maskell has called for Keir Starmer to resign
"We need to now move forward as a party to ensure that we can gain that support back. I don't believe we can with the PM in place - it is inevitable that the PM is going to have to step down"
I hear that word a lot -- his ouster is "inevitable," most agree, including Labour pussies.
Tousi TV points out that the opposition party the Tories are now calling for a call of no confidence in Starmer. Not a no-confidence vote in the Labour government itself, which of course all Labourites would oppose. But a no confidence vote in Starmer is something many of them would vote for.
Starmer is a 180 pound albatross around their necks. An albatross that has secret sex orgies with Ukrainian rent boys.
Even in the UK, the cataclysmic left's only defense is "But Trump."
Tousi TV points out that the only MPs you can send messages to through that website are Labour MPs. So they understand the danger is real and acute.
He also points out that the website doesn't allow you to send your own message. No, you must pick from their pre-written propaganda statements, all supporting Queer Starmer.
BTW, the reason Mandelson was appointed Ambassador to the US appears to have been to sell Trump on the weak and foolish scheme to deliver the Chagos Islands -- where the US maintains the critical base at Diego Garcia -- to a China ally.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that the reason Starmer sent Mandelson to Washington, despite his long history of scandals and his friendship with Epstein, was to lobby for the Chagos Islands, with Diego Garcia at the center, to be handed over to a Chinese vassal state. https://t.co/ZY2HoOJOrL
Like Britain's royal family, the Norwegian monarchs have been thrown into turmoil after the emergence of emails sent from 2011 to 2013 of Epstein corresponding with an address listed as "H.K.H. Kronprinsessen" -- which means "Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess."
H.K.H. Kronprinsessen's email in November 2012 calls Epstein a "sweetheart." Another the following January reads: "Anyway are you coming over to see me soon??? I miss my crazy friend."
The crown princess, who is married to Crown Prince Haakon, next in line to the throne, said in a statement that she took "responsibility for not having investigated Epstein's background more thoroughly, and for not realizing sooner what kind of person he was." She said she "deeply" regretted her "poor judgement" and called it "simply embarrassing."
The Crown Princess was a single mom before being married to Norway's Crown Prince.
Her son was just... charged with a welter of crimes, including drug trafficking and four counts of rape.
The son of Norway's crown princess has told a court in Oslo he has lived a life of partying out of an extreme need of validation, on the second day of his trial for rape and more than 30 other alleged offences.
Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, looked overwhelmed by the occasion, his voice quivering as he paused several times to take off his glasses and wipe his eyes.
Holding back tears, he said it was very difficult to talk, and complained of being followed by the press since he was three years old.
He denies four allegations of rape as well as other serious charges against him.
He was giving evidence after the first woman he is alleged to have raped told the court she believed "100 percent" that she had been drugged during an "after-party" in the basement of Høiby's parents' house in December 2018.
The woman spoke of her sense of "betrayal and shock" after police showed her videos several years later, allegedly depicting him sexually assaulting her shortly after they had had brief, consensual sex.
She had already spoken of a "black hole" in her memory and told the court behind closed doors that she had no recollection of what happened.
The court has ordered the media not to give any information that might identify any of the four women. There is also a ban on any photos of Marius Borg Hoiby, either inside the court building or on his way to and from the trial.
The 29-year-old defendant, who was born four years before his mother, Mette-Marit, married Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, is not a member of the royal family or a public figure, but grew up as part of the wider family.
And this guy's mom is besties with Jeffrey Epstein...?
There's a rule I heard that in any group of people, the degenerates and scumbags will always seek and find each other within days or weeks.
Because if you are saying that, Chief, then you and me are going to have a problem.
One of the architects of the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack is now in U.S. custody, marking a long-delayed but consequential development in one of the most painful national security failures in modern American history.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that Zubayr Al-Bakoush was flown to the United States overnight and will face federal charges tied to arson, murder, and terrorism for his alleged role in the assault that killed four Americans.
Bondi told reporters at the Justice Department that Al-Bakoush landed at Andrews Air Force Base around 3 a.m. and was immediately taken into custody, where he was met by FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. Prosecutors, Bondi said, intend to pursue the case aggressively. "We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law," she said, adding that the message is simple: time does not erase accountability.
Pirro echoed that warning, stressing that the case is not over simply because years have passed. "The Benghazi saga was a painful one for Americans. It has stayed with all of us," she said. "And let me be very clear, there are more of them out there." Pirro said she and Patel have remained in contact with the families of the four Americans killed and vowed that investigators will continue hunting down those still at large. "Time will not stop us from going after these predators, no matter how long it takes," she said. "We owe that to the families who suffered horrific pain at the hands of these violent terrorists."
🚨 @AGPamBondi announces the arrest of Zubayr Al-Bakoush, one of the key participants behind the attack at the U.S. embassy in Benghazi:
"Hillary Clinton famously once said about Benghazi, 'What difference, at this point, does it make?' Well, it makes a difference to @POTUS." pic.twitter.com/BWdncrVSdD
This diseased hag is now screaming that she doesn't want to testify behind closed doors, and James Comer is forcing her to do so. However, the testimony will be videotaped and made available to the public. A transcript will be released, too.
Now, my first thought would be that we want her to testify live, on TV.
But I think Comer believes she will just grandstand and talk about what an offense it is to even summon her, etc., etc. I think he believes a live hearing will just empower the Clintons to play victim and run out the clock. Note that people usually only agree to testify for a set amount of time, so if you just keep filibustering and not answering, you can avoid answering questions while legally, I guess, honoring the subpoena.
I guess he thinks that a closed door hearing, but videotaped, will help stop the Clintons from just filibustering, parsing, and engaging in dilatory tactics.
Rep. James Comer says he will not bring Hillary Clinton into a public hearing to testify about her connection to Jeffrey Epstein.
He says the closed door deposition will be made public with audio, video, and a transcript.
The Minneapolis Antifa activist who told followers to "suit up" and talked openly about "guerrilla war" against ICE is now in federal custody, charged with making violent threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Kyle Wagner, 37, was arrested Thursday after federal prosecutors say his social media posts went far beyond protest rhetoric and crossed into explicit calls for violence against federal law enforcement. According to the Department of Justice, Wagner used Instagram and other platforms in January to encourage followers to confront ICE agents, identify them publicly, and physically attack them.
Prosecutors say Wagner repeatedly portrayed ICE officers as "murderers" and the "gestapo," framing immigration enforcement as an enemy force that needed to be met with force. In one post cited by investigators, Wagner allegedly urged followers to take action wherever possible. "Anywhere we have an opportunity to get our hands on them, we need to put our hands on them," he wrote. "We want to know who they are. We will identify every single one of them and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. If it has to be done at the barrel of a gun, then let us have a little f***ing fun."
Federal authorities say Wagner made clear he was no longer interested in peaceful demonstrations. In videos reviewed by investigators, he told followers it was time to "suit up," put "boots on the ground," and abandon what he dismissed as polite or nonviolent protest. "No, not talking about peaceful protests anymore," Wagner said in one clip. "We're not talking about having polite conversations anymore."
At other points, Wagner described the moment as "guerrilla war," invoking the Second Amendment and warning supporters that armed resistance was necessary against what he described as "literal f***ing Nazi gunmen." Prosecutors argue the language was not metaphorical, but a deliberate attempt to mobilize real-world violence against named law enforcement targets.
"This man allegedly doxxed and called for the murder of law enforcement officers, encouraged bloodshed in the streets, and proudly claimed affiliation with the terrorist organization Antifa before going on the run," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "Today's arrest illustrates that you cannot run, you cannot hide, and you cannot evade our federal agents: if you come for law enforcement, the Trump Administration will come for you."
...
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche welcomed the arrest.
"It's no surprise that an Antifa terrorist is allegedly threatening to kill and assault federal law enforcement officers as they dutifully remove criminal threats from neighborhoods," Blanche said in a statement. "After all, this is what Antifa is about, lawlessness and violence. But under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, there is no safe haven for terrorists and no protection from the full weight of justice."
...
"We know that a 'worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.' And Wagner's alleged actions were an attempt to spread fire into our peaceful community. That is not going to happen," said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
THE MORNING RANT: More Disturbing Slavery Re-Normalization; Remember to Watch Turning Point’s Super Bowl Halftime Show
—Buck Throckmorton
A subject I keep focusing on is the disturbing re-normalization of slavery in 21st century forms. The left believes there is virtue in allowing foreign nationals to be brought to the US to work off-the-books at below market wages. Meanwhile, the corporate right’s war on labor expense has it seeking to replace US citizens with that same non-American labor pool.
As I wrote recently at The American Spectator, ”Slavery under any name and under any circumstance is a great evil. Neither left-wing ‘compassion’ nor right-wing ‘free enterprise’ can provide an excuse for it to persist in any form in this country, nor in the supply chain of goods that are coming into the U.S.”
However, both the “pro-immigrant” left and the “libertarian” right keep trying to excuse modern forms of slavery.
TV station NBC 10 in Boston interviewed an AWFL named Lisa who boasted of the Haitian refugees whom she had taken possession ofprovided shelter and then put to work doing household chores. She said, “It’s really fun having them. What I realized is there’s so much prejudice against refugees mostly because people don’t know them.” To this, the TV reporter added “Lisa feels like she has her own personal chef…”
Zeek Arkham brilliantly commented on X/Twitter that, ”This is great! She could maybe take in another one and they would be a maid for her! Then she could take in a few more and they’d farm for her…maybe grow a crop they could pick. Waitaminit…”
This is great! She could maybe take in another one and they would be a maid for her! Then she could take in a few more and they’d farm for her… maybe grow a crop that they could pick.
On the right, or wherever Rand Paul is, the Kentucky Senator has introduced legislation ending welfare for non-citizens, which is a good thing. However, Senator Paul has also argued for years that illegal immigrants should be able to stay in the U.S. so long as they are working.
Noah Wall cleverly points out that advocating for cheap, foreign labor that does not have the benefits of citizenship has a disturbing ring to it, stating on X/Twitter ”So we want a class of people who we can pay less and not give any benefits to and treat them however we want? I thought we decided that was a bad idea.”
So we want a class of people who we can pay less and not give any benefits to and treat them however we want?
Eliminating “the peculiar institution” in this country was a bloody ordeal that almost ended the United States. It cannot be re-introduced in a “compassionate” 21st-century form.
It discusses how the woke capture of institutions ultimately manifests in a collapse in those institutions’ ability to do their core functions, be they municipalities, utility companies, museums, or even churches.
At the community level, I saw my family’s longtime Presbyterian Church go from a well-maintained facility that was buzzing with activity to a neglected building with grounds in disrepair. The left-wing politics coming from the pulpit drove out the parishioners who had served as in-the-trenches volunteers. In days gone by, the men of the church would bring their tools to fix potholes, replace lighting ballasts, remove fallen branches, etc. They’re all gone. The rainbow-clad “clergy” took control of the church, but lost control of its upkeep.
This piece is not behind a paywall. I’d be honored if you’d give it a read.
My latest at The American Spectator: “Left Wing Activists Ran Off Normal People Who Knew How to do Their Jobs, Now We Are Paying the Price”
Nashville’s electric utility is broken; L.A. has dry fire hydrants; the Kennedy Center is in disrepair, etc. https://t.co/ju4J3tRL1F
How to Watch the Turning Point Alternative Super Bowl Halftime Show
Just a reminder that the NFL has decided to make this Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show a partisan festival of woke politics. The headliner will be “Bad Bunny,” a flamboyant, Spanish-speaking singer who is famous for his (xis?) left-wing politics and for using public forums such as the Grammy Awards to condemn US immigration policy.
This is another Bud Light / Target / Gillette moment. Conservatives have a great opportunity to remind a powerful corporation that half of this country is repulsed by left-wing corporate political activism.Turning Point USA is counter-programming the Super Bowl halftime with a patriotic show featuring entertainers such as Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.
It will be a ratings shot heard ‘round the world if millions of people switch channels at halftime to watch the Turning Point alternative show. If you are not going to watch the Super Bowl at all, it would still be helpful if you’d tune in for the Turning Point show. It can be watched at a few traditional cable outlets such as OAN News and TBN, as well as on the You Tube, Rumble, and X (Twitter) channels of Turning Point. Here is a link with more information
Podcast: J.J. Sefton and CBD discuss the outrageous denial of legitimate, constitutionally-mandated federal activity by the blue states, China's army is purged, the Democrat playbook never changes, the Donroe Doctrine, 20cm artillery shells, and more!
Podcast:Jim Lakely of The Heartland Institute joins us for a wide-ranging discussion of Heartland's recent Anti-Davos initiative: The World Prosperity Forum. We also discuss MN's all-encompassing graft, free markets as an antidote to misery, the truth behind the ICE riots in Minneapolis, and more!
Podcast: CBD and Sefton talk about insurrection in MN coming to NYC? Trump's Greenland rhetoric was over the top, the Gaza Peace Panel is anything but, Minnesota churchgoers need to step up, and is it possible that if the Persian people toss out the Mullahs they will begin a Muslim reformation?
Long-time Coblogger and commenter "Niedermeyer's Dead Horse" is having significant health issues, and would appreciate the thoughts and prayers of The Horde. If you wish to reach out, use @NiedsG on X/Twitter. [CBD]
Disclose.tv
@disclosetv
30m
JUST IN - DOJ investigating Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for conspiracy to impede immigration agents -- CBS
When the State of Minnesota charges Ojibwa City local Aaron Fishel with murder, his lawyers face an impossible task—the single security camera video shows Fishel murdering his victim in gruesome detail. As trial approaches and his lawyers try everything to defend Fishel, they recruit AI-savvy tech help, and everyone involved begins to ask tough questions.
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