Orange Man Good?
The triumph in Israel made for a particularly bad day for some in the anti-Trump “Resistance. How many of them have at some point in the recent past characterized Trump as Adolf Hitler? (The answer is a lot of them, some at the highest levels of establishment journalism.)
And yet there was Trump, addressing the Knesset, standing by the Israeli flag, receiving ovation after ovation, being compared to Oskar Schindler. Let’s say it wasn’t a good time for the Trump-is-Hitler people. Of course, the Resistance will find a workaround to overcome the temporary roadblock of Trump’s current success.
As for the Israel-Hamas agreement, they will try to give credit to others, arguing (improbably) that Trump built on the foundation laid by former President Joe Biden. They will also try to redirect focus onto domestic issues, on which they will continue to call Trump an authoritarian.
In Germany
In the spring of 2025, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV, Germany’s domestic intelligence service) classified the political party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) as a “right-wing extremist” organization. This classification granted the authorities the power to place its members and supporters under police surveillance without prior judicial authorization, including measures such as intercepting private communications or the BfV recruiting informants within the party.
This “judgment” was not delivered by an independent court. It was created by an administrative agency directly under the authority of the Interior Minister. The BfV is not even an administrative court; it is a bureaucratic body, issuing reports and recruiting informants without allowing the parties concerned to present their case. When an individual or party is labeled “fascist” and consequently excluded from Germany, is it not desirable that they at least be granted the right to defend themselves? Well, according to German law in 2025, the answer is nein.
[T]he file justifying [classifying Alternative für Deutschland Party] as a “right-wing extremist” organization has never been released. There is, therefore, a complete absence of adversarial proceedings. The AfD was never consulted, and even after the fact, it has no right to know why, on what grounds, based on what evidence and documents, it was excommunicated from the German “democratic” sphere. How can the AfD effectively contest a classification when the documents remain secret so that it cannot even know what it is contesting? How can it challenge the term “far right” when it is not defined anywhere?
The issue has never been law, but power: the determination of the ruling caste to cling to authority at any cost, even if it means criminalizing a quarter of the German population. In April 2025, for instance, a Bavarian court sentenced David Bendels, editor-in-chief of Deutschland-Kurier, to seven months’ suspended imprisonment. His “crime”? Publishing a satirical image showing Interior Minister Nancy Faeser holding a placard reading “I hate freedom of opinion.” The court convicted him of “abuse, defamation, or slander against persons in political life.”
The Network Enforcement Act reinforces this censorship by forcing internet platforms to delete content under penalty of fines, thereby further eroding the freedom of expression “guaranteed” by Article 5 of the German Constitution. The quarantining of the AfD ensures that the left will remain in power indefinitely, regardless of election outcomes. This amounts to rule by a single “party” and a single ideology — that of the ruling caste. Democratic change through the ballot box in Germany is no longer possible.
As if this were not enough, government circles are now openly considering banning the AfD altogether, under the fake pretext of “protecting the constitution.” One cannot help but recall Germany’s Reichstag fire on February 27, 1933, set by a Dutch communist, which the Nazi Party instantly used as a pretext to suspend civil liberties and consolidate its domination of the German state.
The First Climate Change Summit
The Danger of Tall Buildings
Russians who have formerly or are presently enjoying wealth or power seem to have problems with windows on the third floor and above. The present case noted below might be a suicide, but the Soviets were pioneers in the field of “assisted suicides.” According to Newsweek, just 3-4 days ago, “The former head of a Soviet-era publishing house (Pravda, “Truth”), one of the two most powerful newspapers in the USSR) has been found dead after falling several stories from his apartment block window, according to reports, in the latest unexplained death of a prominent Russian figure since 2022.
Russian state news media reported the death of Vyacheslav Leontyev, 87, who headed the Pravda publishing house, which produced the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).
White Russian state media said Leontyev threw himself from his fifth-floor apartment in Moscow, western media outlets such as The Times noted that he was the latest prominent Russian figure to die in unexplained circumstances since the full-scale war in Ukraine started, often involving falls from windows.
Moskovsky Komsomolets was among Russian state-controlled media outlets that reported the death of Leontyev, whose body was found on Saturday morning outside his apartment block in western Moscow, where he lived on the sixth floor.
The tabloid said that the death was a suspected suicide and followed difficulties, such as his wife being recently hospitalized after a fall. On the day of his death, he had suffered heart problems but refused an ambulance, the paper said, without providing evidence.
Andrey Malgin, an exiled opposition journalist who knew Leontyev, said in a social-media post that the ex-publisher knew a lot about the [Communist] party’s money.” Russians should avoid windows in tall buildings.
The Gaza Summit – In search of Peace. Thank you, President Trump
In the Euro Zone
(h/t Claudio) Europe may be known for its castles, cathedrals, and cuisine, but this map reveals a different kind of production entirely.
According to the data, Hungary and the Czech Republic absolutely dominate the industry, with over 70 performers per million inhabitants — far ahead of any other country on the continent. Romania, Spain, and the UK also show relatively high numbers, while most Nordic and Balkan countries seem to take a more… behind-the-camera approach. Who knew that Europe’s most unexpected export map would look like this?
Naked Bike Ride Through Portland – Judged a Success by Portlandians
A large group of nude cyclists arrived outside the ICE facility in Portland, Sunday, to protest the removal of criminal illegal migrants because nothing says protest like… riding… your… bike… nekked… in… the… rain?! I’m sparing you the video of the numerous physically unpleasant and unclean-looking humans, which I had the nausea-inducing experience of seeing on X. You’re welcome.
Bullet Points:
** President Trump just announced he has an estimated $18 TRILLION in commitments and investments into America!
** Medical Mystery (h/t Claudio)
** Is modern Hispanic music worse than black rap music? (explored here) Do you listen to Mariachi music SOBER? I know that after you’ve had five shots of Cuervo and half a dozen Tecatis, it sounds better. This is the litmus test. Do you like Mariachi music better than a Scottish pipe band? Then again, how many pipe band devotees can say that the music isn’t more fun at a high blood alcohol?
** Alberta seems increasingly inclined to forge their own destiny outside of the Canuckusphere. I’m not sure they’ll be able to pull it off, but with talk like this, they sound very un-Canadian.
** Who killed Goliath’s brother? I never knew he had a brother. Biblical scholarship attempts to sort this out.
** There is a flaw in this challenge. Democrats love decay, dystopia, and living around crazy people comfortably would seem to define them. Putting Democrats in Portland is like dropping a pig in mud and shit. Once there among their own kind, they’d never want to leave.
** Thoughts on the minimum wage. If it’s a bad idea today, it will be a worse idea tomorrow.
** (h/t Claudio) German researchers at the University of Leipzig have developed a bioactive gel that can regenerate cartilage in human joints — offering a non-surgical solution for millions suffering from osteoarthritis and joint injuries. Unlike implants or replacement surgery, this gel works with the body’s own healing system to restore damaged tissue naturally. Made from a combination of collagen fibers, growth peptides, and nano-silica particles, the gel forms a temporary scaffold that stimulates stem cells in the joint to rebuild lost cartilage. Early clinical trials revealed that patients experienced significant pain relief and restored mobility within three months, with some regaining flexibility close to that of healthy joints. The gel gradually dissolves as new cartilage forms, leaving behind natural tissue with no synthetic residue. Experts believe this breakthrough could revolutionize orthopedic and regenerative medicine, reducing the need for invasive procedures and long-term pain treatments — and marking a major step toward truly self-healing human joints.
** Macro and micro – responsibility, accountability, and operational execution.
** Illegal Aliens Arrested – in a scheme to burglarize trains in Southern California. “Mostly peaceful illegal alien thieves?“ Law enforcement officials arrested 31 wetbacks for their involvement in the train robberies. As the search warrant was being carried out at a home in the 14100 block of Anacapa Road, authorities recovered nearly $42,000 in U.S. currency and $133,867 in stolen property from the train burglaries, according to the outlet. Officials also discovered and “confiscated eight illegal firearms, including four rifles and four pistols.”
** If Claudio were to create a bio for himself, this would be it. He agrees with this assessment.
In Search of Rare Earth Elements
(h/t Ken Cao & Claudio – with some VM thrown in for good measure)
Every time China flexes its “strategic power,” it somehow ends up hurting itself more than anyone else? China is tightening export controls on rare earth elements — the metals that power EV motors, fighter jets, iPhones, and wind turbines. It’s an act of national desperation. China controls nearly 80% of the world’s rare-earth processing capacity — yet earns less profit from it than a single U.S. chip foundry. Instead of selling those minerals to the world, Xi banned exports of five key rare-earth elements and the technology to process them.
Xi thinks he’s replaying OPEC’s 1970s playbook: “Cut supply, drive up prices, make the world kneel.” But rare earths aren’t that rare. They’re scattered across Australia, the U.S., Canada, Iraq, and Vietnam. The only reason China has dominated is that others didn’t want the pollution, and pollution never bothered the Red Chinese.
Now those countries are building their own networks — fast. Japan’s Sumitomo is expanding in Malaysia. Australia’s Lynas is scaling production. The U.S. just opened a refinery in Texas. India is stepping in with the world’s third-largest reserves. When you supply 80% of something and choke your customers, they’ll never need you again. That’s not a strategy. That’s self-sabotage.
In China, property prices have been in decline for 41 straight months, with losses in equity that will never return, and consumer confidence is in free fall. Beijing’s “solution” is to stop exporting one of the few things the world still wants from it. It’s like a restaurant going bankrupt — and deciding to stop serving food.
Xi can’t actually enforce this ban because corruption always beats ideology. Rare-earth smuggling has been one of China’s biggest underground trades for decades. During the 2010 quota era, up to 40% of exports bypassed official limits. When profits spike, miners bribe. Officials look away. Beijing loses control — again.
Boating – With EdB
Identify the Aircraft
1
2
3
Identify the Ship
4
Parting Shot
End
1 is Bristol 188 experimental British.
2 is Hawker Hunter also British.
3 is Blackburn B-24 Skua
4 is HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej (Royal Thai Navy )
Got me by a nose!
– Kle.
Outstanding
(1) Bristol 188
(2) Hawker Hunter
(3) Skua.
(4) FFG Bhumibol Adulyadej, RTN.
– Kle.
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Bristol 188
2. Hawker Hunter
3. Bristol 188
Identify the Ship:
4. HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej
Correction to 3. Blackburn Skua.
If memory serves (it often doesn’t) the best concentration of “rare earths” being mined in the CONUS was in California, and I think it was in the southern end of the Sierra Nevada range. The only reason the mining stopped was the greenies protested too much and the EPA shut it down. Both the EPA and greens were probably funded by the CCP. Being California, there’s not much difference between the state and the CCP.
That is my understanding too. I’m sure that the green judges would injoin any mining in the Sierra Nevadas – which is part of the problem.
Wyoming is in the news for rare earths. Tungsten is more of a problem with no current operating mines in the US. Two productive mines that closed are in Boulder County, CO near the town of Nederland. Aside from the political firestorm reopening them will cause is the possibility the deposits are played out.
https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0922f/report.pdf
If an area has been known to produce metalic resources, there is a good chance that there is more than was previously mined. I don’t know how old the surveys are for that area but I’l suggest that somebody may be updating the information and possibly prospecting core samples. The question of how much overburden needs to be moved and the profitability of mining is more of an issue than “is there something present” in many cases. Open pit mining is easier to do if the pay is near the surface. Tunnels work (Cobalt in Idaho) if you’re following a particularly rich seam deeper in the earth. Geological stability is also a consideration when you’re tunneling.
Music? I grew up with classical records spinning on my mother’s stereo cabinet. No TV until my adolescence years. Parents sang in choirs. A move to the farm in NE brought some changes. Like going back in time. It was polka at every wedding and anniversary dance. Living 7 yrs in the southern plains of Sonora was a rewind back to the 70’s. The Chec, Polish, German culture as far as music goes. Norteño or Ranchero were the 2 choices. The rap culture has taken a slice of the younger generation there as well. If I’m going bib, the romantica and the Balada mixed with 70’s folk is relaxing. For production mode, pounding nails or turning wrenches, I’m all over the map for motivational tunes. The Americana modern folk, with it’s march rhythm is one genre our daughters enjoy and it’s a delight for my ears as well. Our Canuck son in law had bagpipes played at their wedding. Just not my cup of tea. To each his own. What about oriental or middle Eastern – played on a different scale? Can’t think of a worse way to ruin a good morning cup of coffee than an Arabic call to prayer!
Macro and Mini; ” Do what needs to be done” + “clean up”. Last night I got through the drug out opening scene of The Terminal List and binge watched 3 episodes. Sure has a Bourne vibe. Confession, seen the latter series like 4-5 times.
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Survival, team work, serious skills are what I’m drawn to. H/T to all you vets and LEO’S.
Terminal List: Dark Wolf would have been a different series if the boss had “stepped outside”.
X2
X3…good point.
Only in Pinkoland do you get a bunch of people who think the sensible way
to protest the FedGov enforcing the nation’ s laws is to ride bicycles while
naked… except everyone’s wearing a helmet.
*
Surprised they weren’t all on gris-gris masks, too.
– Kle.
A friend of mine continually uses the phrase “as messed up as Chinese music”.
I agree.
As to Goliath’s brothers, it’s long been assumed that he had 4 brothers and that is why David picked up five smooth stones.
These brothers may not have been directly brothers but they were of the same clan.
Three are named elsewhere..
I don’t buy Dan McClellan’s answer (the video), because he doesn’t give one.
I do mostly agree with https://tyndalehouse.com/2022/04/14/who-killed-goliath/ which he tries to dismiss.
There’s a guy I give a lot of room for, Michael Heiser (The Unseen Realm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9EW3ORjpU8&t=38s ) who posits that it was Israel’s job to kill these and the other giants in the land. There’s a great spiritual component to this.
But I don’t have a lot of scholarly latin terms to back up my belief system like Dan does.
I don’t know how many brother’s he had, but I wouldn’t want to date his sister…just saying.
Good point, especially if WNBA typing ran in the clan.
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Great line in Reacher when a kid asks him why he’s so big? Reacher simply says, “Genetics”. Was Goliath the size of Tyrus or any number of world strongmen, or truly “a giant”?
When the average soldier was 5′, somebody 6’7 would be considered to be a giant. In the land of the blind, the one-eye’d man is king.
That was always my little kid engineer’s brain thinking as well…believe I asked that of the Sunday school nun (what was a giants height?). Since it was Roman Catholic asking about such things was sorta verboten. Unsure if a ruler was used afterwards…don’t recall…maybe a repressed memory. (heh)
As to “The Most Italian Man in the World” (Claudio), I have an Italian friend in my Bible Study and I have threatened to handcuff her so that I can get a word in edgewise.
Immobilizing her hands will shut her down.
No. You’d need to immobilize legs and feet, as well.
Of course, she’d then give banshees a run for their money.
And she’s bound to have brothers and cousins. Just sayin’…
East Coast Italians are far worse, taking arguing to a whole other level..to wit, My Cousin Vinny:
Bill Gambini: “You have to see the Gambinis in action. I mean, these people, they love to argue. I mean, they live to argue.”
Stan Rothenstein: “My parents argue too, it doesn’t make them good lawyers.”
Bill Gambini: “Stan, I’ve seen your parents argue. Trust me, they’re amateurs.”
How long before Hamas reverts to mostly-peaceful protests?
Falling deaths – Mitt’s SIL found dead in a parking lot, looks like she fell. Someone wondered what she had on Hillary.
Geology – saw an article about scientists watching a subduction zone breaking apart.
Burglarizing trains. I know there are stacks of videos out there. I enjoy this guy’s channel as the play by play info is excellent. Topic brought this clip to mind–
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixlBovQ0fT4
Music. I like this background tune (and the show)–
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpF00oOcucE
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The tune is “Intro” by “The XX”.
I was born and raised in Oregon. Portland used to be a beautiful city. Used to be. I needed eye bleach watching those idiots.
Have a fabulous day and week. :)
It’s been laid waste, Comedy Plus.
I see the nekked bike thingamabob as an absolute metaphor for how far Portland (and a few other cities) has jumped into the deep end of the cesspool. What would possess – unless possessed – anyone not looking like a swimsuit model or Chippendale to strip down and ride a bike in town? In my day (I can say that now) you’d be hauled off to the psyche ward, but places run by the immoral allow The Demented to run open loop.
ProTip: If you do happen to find yourself in Portland, DO NOT use a public ‘free’ bike…never know where that saddle has been.
***
MedMystery…now that’s some serious thinking outside the box. What makes a good clinician? That guy…who came in, looked at the data, then proceeded to get to the root of the problem by working backwards, not just focusing on what was in front of him. Another Pro-Tip: Drinking heavily and toothpicks do not mix [me, making sure my toothpick is still on the napkin]. Geez…and the guy recovered.
** (h/t Claudio) German researchers at the University of Leipzig have developed a bioactive gel that can regenerate cartilage in human joints
That is hopeful to all of us with bone on bone knees. Every three to six months a gel is injected into my knee joints. All it does is temporarily cushion the joint but not regrow cartilage. While not a miracle cure, I get a lot of relief from the procedure and it lasts longer than cortisone. The staff assures me the gel is inert with little chance of side effects. The procedure takes mere minutes.
That aspect the ‘gel scaffolding’ stimulates stem cell growth (I call them the God cells) is exceptional. Laws here disallow growing’ human stem cells, only collecting them (person back into the same person) which is more invasive and time consuming. This will help so many people with wrecked cartilage without high invasive joint replacement.
Sign me up!
Me too, as I’ve started walking a round like an old football player, altho not broken down…yet.
15 years back went to a Stem Cell conference with MrsPaulM…first one for veterinary. Half the folks in attendance were already operating in the emerging field, the other half were interested parties (us). As she was the vet and I was ‘the help’ I took notes on the how-to’s. Fascinating but a lot of steps. The ONLY human side presenter was using stem cells for macular degeneration rebuild of the ‘black’ cells that die off, scaffold was a fenestrated Dacron sheet of some nature. What was being used for joint scaffolding to rebuild cartilage was PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) spun down from the patient (sort of a goo, which is amazing at wound healing as well).
This German gel is a serious game changer, removes multiple steps and likely provides quicker recovery.
Sidebar: Listened live to the President posthumously “award” Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom…on what would have been Charlie’s 32nd birthday. Moving to say the least, especially Erika Kirk’s very powerful yet touching comments. (“Best birthday present Charlie ever could have asked for Mr. President, he was really hard to shop for a gift.”)
…and this ceremony directly on the heels of a packed international weekend working towards a Middle East Peace Agreement with another stop in between with the Argentinians to shore them up. The man is a warrior…or a machine…or both. God willing this continues…for America and the World.
Looks like Germany is just going direct to jackboots… again…
Re Hamas/Trump/Xiden et al, I give it five years or less before they are fighting again… sigh
Regarding the leftists trying to say President Autopen laid the groundwork for the peace accords, they’re already doing it. Already. Even before Trump spoke in Israel. Even before the first hostage was released. That’s how much they hate Trump.
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Regarding modern hispo music (a horrid form of rap,) no, it’s not as bad as black rap. Why? Because it’s in a foreign language and I don’t have to listen to misogyny and outright evil in a language I can understand. I’d still rather not listen to either, but that’s the vibrant neighborhood I live in, sigh.
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Mariachi music? I listen to it sober. I prefer Herb Alpert’s take on it, but I like it. And it really pisses off the hispos when I point out that it takes many of its themes, sounds and structure from Polka music, which I also like to listen to. I also listen to bagpipe music though I prefer the uillean pipes for singing music while the greater pipes for marching and fighting music. Since I don’t drink, pretty much at all, I listen to all music sober. That is, the music I listen to. I prefer studio recorded music versus live performances. Don’t like gospel music though I like church music a lot. And being cursed with perfect pitch, well, that makes listening to most non-European based music a painful experience, though Japanese music, Vietnamese music and some Indian (especially Bollywood) music works for me. And the Euro-based music must be pure, can’t handle hack voices like Bob Dylan’s or Bruce Springsteen’s or Barbara Streisand’s voices. Leah, that symphonic metal babe, on the other hand, has a beautiful and pure voice.
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I pray daily that Alberta and the other put-upon territories manage to escape Canukistan, safely, and join us as territories and then states once they integrate totally.
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I know, TMI, right? But you did open up for me to flood you all with information. It’s what I do…
You fill your role admirably.