The Girlboss; Michael Crichton warned about ideological contagions long before Hollywood succumbed to one of its own.

 The American Spectator

"What could possess Nolan to sabotage his and Homer’s work? Yes, the Hollywoke Strain, but something else, perfectly described by Jesse Kelly on X. “Please understand that communists do this on purpose … They live for destroying beautiful things. Especially the ones most important to you.'”. . .

Dreamstime

. . . "Which brings us to Christopher Nolan. He may be an overrated director in my view, but he’s smart enough to know about the film-killing potency of the Hollywoke Strain. Yet instead of avoiding it, he appears to be injecting it, into his adaptation of one of the greatest and oldest classics of literature, The Odyssey.

"How many people, myself included, would flock to a screen retelling of the Homeric epic, full of gods and monsters, heroes and battles, sirens and villains, and a man’s long voyage home to his wife and son. What we won’t accept is a feminist interpretation of one of the manliest tales of all time. And that’s precisely Nolan’s source for the material — Emily Wilson’s gender heavy, morally ambiguous, unromantic translation of the story.

"We’re not thrilled by Matt Damon as Odysseus. We’re fine with Ann Hathaway as Penelope. We dislike Zendaya as Athena, goddess of wisdom. We welcome the beautiful Charlize Theron as the seductive demigoddess Calypso. But we’ll avoid like the plague a small deluded girl, Elliot Page, as the fearsome warrior Achilles, and a plain black woman, Lupita Nyong’o, as Helen of Troy, “the face that launched a thousand ships, And burnt the topless towers of Illium.” (Christopher Marlowe, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus)

"What could possess Nolan to sabotage his and Homer’s work? Yes, the Hollywoke Strain, but something else, perfectly described by Jesse Kelly on X. “Please understand that communists do this on purpose … They live for destroying beautiful things. Especially the ones most important to you.”" . . .

The extremes in the world of journalism

 James Zumwalt - American Thinker

"When it comes to ethics in journalism, there are those in the profession, like Joe Scarborough, who remain totally ignorant—despite only being advisory rather than obligatory—of their professional standards."

"In the world of journalism—both written and photo—there arguably are certain standards to be observed. It is interesting to examine two contrasting extremes in incidents, occurring 33 years apart. One journalist went out of his way to ignore this standard while another—a photojournalist—took just the opposite approach.

"While the driving standard all journalists should observe is accurately reporting a story without bias, there is another standard that occasionally comes into focus, although while recently being violated, no mention was made about it. The standard at issue is that which advises journalists only to report on the story and not to become part of it.

"It should be no surprise to learn the party bringing this standard into question is the leftist co-host of “Morning Joe” —Joe Scarborough.

"On May 1, the MSNBC [MSNOW] network was broadcasting a Pentagon briefing by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, initially providing an update on the war with Iran. Hegseth then began to give a briefing on our NATO allies in which he mocked their collective inaction.

"Suddenly, Scarborough broke into the broadcast, angrily decrying the administration of President Donald Trump’s “obsession” with hating Europe. At a time viewer trust in the media is at an all time low of 28%, those reporting the news should be pursuing objectivity by remaining neutral. There was zero neutrality exhibited by Scarborough in his outburst as he flagrantly violated the standard.

"Just the opposite extreme was exhibited in March 1993 by a South African photographer who took what would become one of the most controversial photos in photojournalism history. The photo in question was not only memorable, but disturbingly so. In fact, so memorable and disturbing was it that it received the 1994 Pulitzer Prize. But the consequences of taking it would, months later, cause the photographer, South African Kevin Carter, to commit suicide.

"Originally titled “Suffering Girl,” the photograph captured a little Sudanese girl, perhaps only four or five years old, folded over on the ground, her face hidden in the dirt but with the skeletal bones that were protruding on her side telling a tale of starvation.

"However, the disturbing part of the photo was the presence of a vulture. . . More...

James Zumwalt is a retired Marine infantry officer who served in the Vietnam War, Panama and Operation Desert Storm. He is the author of three books and hundreds of opinion pieces in online and print publications. He speaks frequently on foreign policy and defense issues as well as on the leadership of his famous father, after whom the world’s first stealth destroyer is named.

As Democrats Foment Ever More Violence, They Continue To Find Ever More Ways To “Defund Police”

 AFNN

"The“Get Real” host, George, started this podcast by asking Diane about the latest tyranny in Blue Washington State: A new law destroying Americans’ constitutional right to vote for their county sheriffs, which was just slapped down by a judge. Under this law, a Democrat-appointed commission would be deciding who can run for sheriff and who cannot. They also have the unconstitutional authority to kick an ELECTED sheriff out of office. In 2021, the former Democrat governor put Katrina Marie Johnson on the commission. As the head of Black Lives Matter-Seattle, she had orchestrated four months of violence in Seattle in 2020 which killed two black teen bystanders. In 2024, the current Democrat governor re-appointed her. SEE ARTICLE LINKED BELOW*.

"Steve discusses his recent research into the concept of “due process” which is an important constitutional right and the beginnings, in Western society, of controlling & limiting the power of government. We are losing that because we are not following the document which has kept us free since the late 1700s.

"Steve also discusses how the 14th Amendment (to give former slaves citizenship) is being intentionally misinterpreted in order to facilitate the invasion of foreigners. Diane interrupted Steve to mention a footnote in a US Supreme Court ruling which The Left claims creates “birthright citizenship.” Here it is:

"In Footnote 10 in the 1982 Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe. The issue in the case was about whether or not a state could constitutionally deny illegal alien children the same public school education as American children. Justice William Brennan created a central focus of legal and political debate regarding birthright citizenship. In this footnote, Justice William Brennan wrote that “no plausible distinction . . . can be made between resident aliens whose entry into the United States was lawful and resident aliens whose entry was unlawful” in the context of the Fourteenth Amendment’s jurisdiction.

"The Left has spent the last 40 years arguing that this single footnote effectively created a “constitutional right” to birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens, a concept that was never intended by the 14th Amendment’s framers." . . . More...

*How Long Will It Take Dems To Replace ALL 39 Sheriffs In Washington State With Foreign Nationals, Voters Be Damned?

Living Behind Enemy Lines With BLM-Seattle's Head Terrorist, Tale #93: Katrina Marie Johnson

How the Sites of Stonewall Jackson's Wounding and Death Became Tourist Attractions

 HistoryNet. 

"[Union General] Sedgwick had been killed by a sharpshooter’s bullet on May 9, 1864, during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. In May 1888, Union veterans planned to gather on the battlefield to dedicate a monument to the fallen “Uncle John.” News about the preparations for that ceremony circulated throughout the Fredericksburg area in the months leading up to the event. Jackson partisans realized that if Sedgwick was going to have a monument, Jackson should have one, too".

"In May 1862, UNION TROOPS from New York—or any state represented in the Army of the Potomac, for that matter—would not have welcomed running into anything associated with Lt. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. But when friends of mine from western New York, heading south on Interstate 95 for vacation, came upon a brown road sign in central Virginia referencing the Confederate general, they were delighted.

“We saw the sign for the Stonewall Jackson Shrine and thought of you,” they texted me, knowing my affinity for the legendary Army of Northern Virginia commander. This particular sign near I-95’s Thornburg, Va., exit—since renamed the Stonewall Jackson Death Site—had caught their eyes, just as it does for thousands of battlefield tourists every year.

"Stonewall Jackson, of course, was mortally wounded on May 2, 1863, at the height of his great triumph at the Battle of Chancellorsville. That afternoon, Jackson’s Corps had rolled up Maj. Gen. O.O. Howard’s 11th Corps on the Army of the Potomac’s right during a daring flank attack still studied by military theorists. The assault crippled Union Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker’s offensive. But Jackson wanted more. As evening began to fall, the general impatiently conducted a reconnaissance in the thick woods in front of his lines, eager to discover the Union positions and perhaps continue his attack. A rippling volley from troops in one of his own North Carolina brigades, however, knocked Jackson from his horse.

"Jackson endured amputation of his left arm and a jarring 27-mile ambulance ride the next day to Thomas C. Chandler’s “Fairview” Plantation near Guinea Station, site of the shrine that caught my friend’s attention. He remained at one of the plantation’s outbuildings until he died of pneumonia on May 10."

Cash for crowds scandal as lobbyist 'offered hundreds of dollars to recruit attendees for JD Vance speech'

  Daily Mail Online  

“Only in 2025 can a man make millions renting outrage — and still complain about competition.”

"Vice President JD Vance's appearance in a state critical to the 2028 Republican presidential nomination is raising eyebrows due to a lobbyist's bid to entice attendees.

Ahead of a rally Vance headlined in Des Moines with Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn that took place last Tuesday, a text message was sent by an Iowa ethanol lobbyist recruiting spectators to attend. The messages contained an offer of payment.

The text, obtained and published by Iowa Starting Line read:

'Gentlemen, Jake Swanson here. I wanted to invite you to join me in seeing Vice President JD Vance this afternoon in Des Moines. I do some work for an ethanol company and so if you're able to join, I will give you $100, and for anyone that you recruit, an additional $25. No limit on referrals, so if someone recruits a group of 20 to show up, that's $500.'

Swanson is a lobbyist and a former policy adviser to Iowa's Republican governor, Kim Reynolds.

In a statement to Iowa Starting Line, Swanson defended the move: 'I love ethanol and what it does for our state. 

'So I was happy to bring some Iowa State kids to the rally to celebrate all the things Trump-Vance have done for biofuels and I think there's opportunity for so much more. This is what I like to do in my own personal spare time,' Swanson noted.

A spokesperson for the Vice President told The Daily Mail after publication that 'our office had no involvement in or knowledge of any such efforts.'... More...

Crowds for Hire CEO Warns of Paid Protesters — Mad He Didn’t Get the Gig – The Daily Skrape

The Jew-Hatred Pandemic No Longer a Mystery - We’ve cracked the case.

 Joan Swirsky-American Thinker  

"And when [God] observed the psychotic October 7 attack on his “chosen people” as so sinful, so craven, so immoral, so bestial, he sent President Donald J. Trump to aid our closest ally and to instruct a largely racist world about the difference between right and wrong and good and bad, and also what is worthy of defending and fighting for at this fraught time in world history."

. . . "The campaign against Israel, Mr. Kinsella said, was “ready to go” and “kicked off” with 2,500 anti-Israel protests around the world —  “even before Israel started to fight back!”  They were using professional signs, professional organizers, a professional global campaign, and that’s hard to do, but they pulled it off.

"Additionally, Mr. Kinsella said that this pro-Hamas, anti-Israel campaign targeted young people who were more “susceptible to conspiracy theories, more susceptible to accept antisemitic tropes — the Holocaust didn’t happen, Jews control the world, et al. — all of that nonsense. Young people, unfortunately, in Canada and the U.S. and Europe, were much more willing to accept those types of lies.”

"Mr. Kinsella explained that in this global eruption of Jew- and Israel-hatred, the campaign manager was Iran, Qatar was the banker, China and Russia acted as campaign co-chairs, Hamas and Hezb’allah were on the front lines, and also that “the alphabet soup of NGOs (non-governmental organizations), nonprofits, and charities pushing these hateful messages were ready to move ... while October 7 was happening ... which was either a hell of a coincidence, or they knew in advance what was going to happen.”

"This is among hundreds of facts that he documents scrupulously in his new book, The Hidden Hand: The Information War and the Rise of Antisemitic Propaganda.

"I remember watching the returns of the 2000 presidential election, when the Republican governor of Texas, George W. Bush, ran against the Democrat senator from Tennessee, Al Gore.  In the hotly contested race, the vote was so close that it ended up in the Supreme Court, which declared the recount dispute in favor of Gov. Bush and pronounced him the winner.

"But what puzzled me at the time and raised some red flags in my mind was that the very next day, instantaneously, it seemed, there appeared professionally produced protest signs and placards and enormous crowds of protesters — fueled by the efforts of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson — to fight the Supreme Court decision.

"How could they produce those signs and all those people overnight? I wondered." . . . More...

Jimmy Kimmel and the ‘Left-Wing Culture of Hatred’; The WHCA Dinner and responsibility.

Sickening especially are the crowds applauding the hateful remarks. 

 The American Spectator 

"Which leads to this close from First Lady Melania Trump in response to the decidedly unfunny ABC host Jimmy Kimmel. Said she: Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy — his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.". . . 

"Unreal.

"There, in the flesh, in the middle of a standard Washington event — the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner (WHCA) — was what was intended to be a mass murder of U.S. government officials. The Washington Hilton ballroom held not only the president and vice president of the United States but dozens of Cabinet members and members of Congress, not to mention hundreds of journalists. (RELATED: Why Assassins Almost Always Go After Republicans)

"It was by the grace of a higher power that the sole casualty was a mild chest wound to a Secret Service officer who was, thankfully, wearing a bulletproof vest. The immediate audience of Washington politicians and journalists, in chaos, jumped out of chairs, hid under tables, and then raced away.

"This was the third attempt on the life of President Trump. First, of course, was the shooting at a rally in Butler, Penn. Next was a foiled attempt at the Trump golf course. Now comes this attack at the WHCA dinner, which, as noted, is a standard annual glitzy black tie of Washington power brokers in an event held annually in Washington.

"The would-be murderer, captured unharmed, was revealed to be 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California. USA Today reported this of the shooter:

"Allen listed his employment as a teacher in a $25 donation to Kamala Harris in 2024. He is registered to vote in California as “no party preference.”

"His LinkedIn profile indicated he’s been a part-time teacher at C2 Education in Torrance, California. C2 is a national tutoring and college counseling provider.

Allen posted on LinkedIn he received his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 and his master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025. Kathy Svitil, a spokesperson for the California Institute of Technology, confirmed a record of an undergraduate student by the name of Cole Allen who graduated in 2017, but declined to release more information.

"Question? How in the world does somebody get to the point that something like this happens in the first place?" . . . 

. . . "Exactly. Hatred has consequences. None of them good. And Jimmy Kimmel, alas, and on repeated evidence, is a hater."  More...

Witness Trees

"Witness trees, like the land we save, have seen things we cannot imagine, and bear the marks of our nation's history."

American Battlefield Trust

Tree Damage on Culp's Hill ; American Civil War Forums So much steel flying through the air.

"Witness trees are those flora of historic landscapes that remain in place decades or even centuries after noteworthy events unfolded there. Often the trees were young when the event took place, and have now grown to be massive, silent sentinels of history. These trees often evoke strong emotions when we see them, knowing they were present during some of our nation's most harrowing times. Nor is ours the first generation to attach significance to these trees; last year a tree was lost at George Washington's Mount Vernon (opens in a new window) that was known to have witnessed the General's life and had been carved with corps insignia by Union troops stationed on the property eager to leave their own mark on that piece of the past. So meaningful are these trees that great efforts may be taken to protect them. In 2006, the National Park Service created the Witness Tree Protection Program (opens in a new window) to safeguard 24 historically and biologically significant trees in the greater Washington, D.C., area, including the famous 1910 Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees and the Grant Memorial Bull Oak. In instances where a notable witness tree is lost to age, lightning strike or other cause – as in the case with the famous Charter Oak of Colonial Connecticut (opens in a new window) or Wye Oak of Maryland (opens in a new window) – its scions, intentionally gathered and planted, may take on near-mythic stature as well.

"Below are stories of some of the documented witness trees that still stand on America's battlefields. In many cases, they provide essential context and markers on battlefields, allowing us to better identify where parts of chaotic battles occurred. The trees, like the land we save, have seen things we cannot imagine, and bear the marks of those events.

Revolutionary War-Era Trees . . .;  War of 1812-Era Trees . . .; Civil War-Era Trees . . .  (opens in a new window)

Gettysburg Witness Trees Main Battlefield Witness Tree Map ; Main Battlefield Witness Tree Map

Spotsylvania battle: This Shattered, Bullet-Riddled Stump Shows the Violent Intensity of Civil War Battle

Now We Know What ‘Maximum Warfare, Everywhere, All the Time’ Means; "Maximum violence, minimum accountability."

 The American Spectator

"Let’s stop pretending the Left wants what the rest of us want. That hasn’t been true in decades. What they want is power, ostensibly to perfect human society along their prescriptions. Maximum power."

Lil’ Hakeem

. . ."That came on Sunday afternoon, well after Allen’s manifesto was all over the internet and his political leanings and motives were well known.

"You don’t condemn political violence by pretending not to know where it came from. That’s an excuse for it, not a condemnation. We’ve put up with this dodge whereby Democrats, every time their assassination-porn rhetoric results in one of their crazies doing what they’ve been weaponized to do, follow behind them with “this is a problem on both sides.”

"After spending two decades screaming that it’s “right-wing extremism,” which is the chief terrorist threat to American security. And then having their defamation squad at the Southern Poverty Law Center funneling money to “white supremacists” in order to keep the ruse going. 

"If Barack Obama had a son, he’d look (and act) like Cole Allen. We all know this.

"The Democrat Party is upset about what happened at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. There is no doubt about that. But they aren’t upset about the attempt at a Trump assassination. They’re upset that it failed.

"The system is what it does. And what it does is to produce saboteurs, rioters, criminals, and assassins.

Let’s stop pretending the Left wants what the rest of us want. That hasn’t been true in decades. What they want is power, ostensibly to perfect human society along their prescriptions." . . .More...

Judge Tony Graf Rejects Defense Bid to Ban Cameras From Charlie Kirk Murder Trial

  100PercentFedUp

"A Utah judge has ruled that cameras will stay in the courtroom for the trial of Tyler Robinson, the man charged with killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

"State District Judge Tony Graf issued the decision Friday afternoon, denying a defense motion that sought a blanket ban on all electronic media coverage. Robinson’s attorneys argued that cameras and live broadcasts would poison the jury pool and turn proceedings into a spectacle. The judge disagreed.

"The ruling is a significant win for transparency in one of the most closely watched criminal cases in recent memory." . . .

"Fox 32 Chicago reported on Judge Graf’s Friday ruling and the arguments that led to it:

Added by TD

State District Judge Tony Graf ruled Friday afternoon that news outlets will be allowed to film, photograph, and livestream the high-profile murder case against Tyler Robinson, the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk. Robinson’s defense attorneys had sought a blanket camera ban, arguing cameras and live broadcasts could bias potential jurors by fueling online commentary that portrays Robinson as evil or unremorseful based on his courtroom appearance.

Media organizations, prosecutors, and Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk all pushed for cameras to remain, arguing transparency is the best guard against conspiracy theories. Kirk was speaking to roughly 3,000 people at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when investigators say Robinson fired a single shot from around 140 yards away, killing Kirk at age 31. Robinson is 22 and faces an aggravated murder charge, with prosecutors intending to seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Judge Graf also moved the preliminary hearing to July 6 through July 10.

"Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea. Prosecutors have stated they intend to seek the death penalty if he is convicted.

"The defense had compared allowing cameras to inviting a media circus, but Judge Graf found they had not provided sufficient evidence to justify shutting out coverage entirely. Instead, he imposed structured rules designed to protect the proceedings while preserving the public’s right to see what happens inside that courtroom." . .   .More...

Tax hike on California employers spurs plea for help to cover Gavin Newsom’s 'failures'

 New York Post 

“If you don’t pay a bill, you’ll get hounded by a collection agency,” Jones said. “But apparently if you’re the governor of California, you can ignore the tab and force someone else to pick it up

"A state senator is calling on Congress to bail out California and stop employers from picking up the tab on a $20 billion debt Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers have so far refused to pay.

"Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones issued a joint resolution with other Republican state senators urging Congress to suspend looming federal payroll tax increases tied to the state’s unpaid unemployment insurance (UI) debt.

"California employers will soon pay a 5.2% payroll tax — nearly nine times as much as those in other states that are debt free, according to the California Business Roundtable." . . .More...

Gavin Newsom’s 5 Biggest Failures on California Budget

"As Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled his latest state budget proposal this week, Reform California Chairman and State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio is calling it out as a dishonest and disastrous mess — one that he says is driving California toward a fiscal cliff.

“'Gavin Newsom is a liar who is utterly incapable of fixing the fiscal crisis he created,” says DeMaio. “This is not just a deficit — it’s a full-blown meltdown, and Californians are going to pay the price.”

"DeMaio, a recognized national expert on budget reform, is sounding the alarm on Newsom’s failed leadership and has outlined five major failures driving California’s fiscal collapse:" . . .

More...

Europeans Are Also Tired Of Dumb Leftists Ruining Everything

 The Federalist

"Miracles happen: British voters have figured out that they don’t want their country to be systematically ruined by weak-minded leftist trash. The United Kingdom just had local and regional elections, and they went like this:

"The left-wing London newspaper The Guardian sees more or less the same point: “Keir Starmer’s leadership on line after Labour’s disastrous election night.”

"After years of ugly institutional decline, mass immigration from unvetted Islamist refugees who are eroding British culture, and a long period of completely insane nanny state speech policing, leftist Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is bleeding to death in a confrontation with voters. It’s not the end for Labour as a national party, since the elections aren’t for seats in the House of Commons, but the signs of ruin are unmistakable.

"The first sign that a big change is underway: The news media are in a panic, and making the usual pants-wetting noises. NBC News headline: “Starmer’s Labour suffers huge losses as hard-right Reform gains in U.K. elections.” (Here’s CNN doing the same “hard-right” thing.) Everything that isn’t soggy, dimwitted leftist mental slop is “far right” or “hard right.”

"The “hard right” they’re warning about is the Reform Party, led by Nigel Farage. From its website, here’s a screenshot of Reform’s major policy concerns:

More...