RE: Election Returns
Ladies, please remember, theses two words: Baked Goods.
There is not a whole lot in this world, that Baked Goods can not make better, be it a celebration of victory, or comfort in defeat.
I just spent half of the day helping Dear Ms. Betty, the widow down the road, with her autumn yard chores. Her son had recently passed on, and she has no one to assist her, but, she has me., and I have a plate of delicious cookies.i am a sucker for Cookies !
BAKED GOODS !
Mama Pajama
Bless you Rain!
CFP Fan
The ebola crisis is spreading, here we go again, we need to ground flights coming from these affected areas.
A disease that health officials have described as the fastest-spreading on record in Africa shows no signs of slowing down, and may soon afflict those outside the continent.
The unprecedented spread of Ebola has resulted in thousands of cases, with Nigeria reporting its first case in more than a decade last month, and additional reports in Kenya and other African countries.
While the majority of cases are currently affecting those in Africa, health experts are warning that the situation could change and countries should start increasing preparedness now.
“We want all countries to know that they are not safe if they don’t take appropriate measures,” Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the Guardian.
Cases have been linked to the Bundibugyo variant, a less common strain that has a high death rate and no approved treatment or vaccine.
Currently, the CDC reports the likelihood of Ebola reaching the US is low, and the agency has issued a new Ebola-related travel requirement intended to reduce the risk of Ebola entering the US.
CFP Fan
Florida Learjet crash victims ID’d as tech entrepreneur, toddler kids, wife and nanny:
The passengers on board a private jet that crashed in Florida, killing all on board, have been identified as a Texas multimillionaire tech entrepreneur and his family, as well as their children’s nanny and two close friends.
Adam Robinson, 44, and his wife, Helen, were among the nine killed when their $2 million Learjet 60 that they were taking from Austin to the Bahamas nosedived in Palm Beach County, Florida, sources close to the family told TMZ.
Also on the plane: The pilot, 55-year-old Jeff Gregory, an experienced pilot from Pennsylvania and the co-pilot as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a Florida-based pilot.
CFP Fan
Mama Pajama
On a lighter note – whenever i see bear stories in the stack I’m reminded of this little gem that Shep used to often play:
…And here it is from P-uke (or P-ravda) B-roadcasting S-limes:
Thought Criminal
Apologies for the long post, it’s a copy/paste situation.
Benjamin Franklin’s Forgotten Rules
by
Michael Boldin
November 2, 2026
How to Bring Down an Empire
“Empires, by Pride & Folly & Extravagance, ruin themselves like Individuals”
Benjamin Franklin knew the pattern all through history: Collapse is self-inflicted. In 1773, he wrote a masterpiece of biting satire detailing 20 rules for how a great empire destroys itself from within. The formula is simple: make the government so detestable that the people want secession at any cost.
It was supposed to be a warning, but the British ignored it and learned their lesson the hard way.
Read his rules and judge for yourself. Is this just another history lesson? Or is it an instruction manual still being followed by the empire we live under today?
WEAPONIZED SATIRE
Benjamin Franklin spent years trying to reason with the British government. But, as he wrote to his sister Jane Mecom, he finally realized that being polite to politicians is a waste of time.
“I had us’d all the smooth Words I could muster, and I grew tir’d of Meekness when I saw it without Effect. Of late therefore I have been saucy.”
On September 11, 1773 – just months after the Tea Act was passed – that “sauciness” took the form of a brilliant essay anonymously published in a London paper: Rules By Which A Great Empire May Be Reduced To A Small One. He took the worst abuses inflicted on the American colonies, and repackaged them as twenty “helpful tips” for the British government to convince the people to hate it. The result? An empire chopped down to size by secession, guaranteed.
He wasn’t just shaming them. As he told Mecom, he was forcing them to look in the mirror.
“I have held up a Looking-Glass in which some Ministers may see their ugly Faces, and the Nation its Injustice.”
He opened the essay by framing it as a leaked government memo – a direct shot at Lord Hillsborough, the former Secretary of State for the Colonies.
“Presented privately to a late Minister, when he entered upon his Administration; and now first published.”
Franklin then drew a sharp contrast. He started with the ancient Greek leader Themistocles – a man who didn’t waste time on trivial politics because he was too busy doing the hard work of building a society. Then, he flipped the script with some self-deprecating humor.
“An ancient Sage valued himself upon this, that tho’ he could not fiddle, he knew how to make a great City of a little one.”
“The Science that I, a modern Simpleton, am about to communicate is the very reverse.”
He framed it like a self-help guide. Managing a massive empire is simply too much work for politicians who just want more leisure time.
“I address myself to all Ministers who have the Management of extensive Dominions, which from their very Greatness are become troublesome to govern, because the Multiplicity of their Affairs leaves no Time for fiddling.”
THE RULES
Franklin started his rules with simple geography. Start at the edges and let the implosion work its way in from there.
“In the first Place, Gentlemen, you are to consider, that a great Empire, like a great Cake, is most easily diminished at the Edges. Turn your Attention therefore first to your remotest Provinces; that as you get rid of them, the next may follow in Order.”
The best way to accelerate that process is to treat the people as second-class citizens. Make sure they have no real representation. Use “law” as a weapon to attack their rights. And cut off free trade.
“Take special Care the Provinces are never incorporated with the Mother Country, that they do not enjoy the same common Rights, the same Privileges in Commerce, and that they are governed by severer Laws, all of your enacting, without allowing them any Share in the Choice of the Legislators.”
Despite all the blood, sweat and tears the people spent building the colonies, the government must adopt an arrogant “you didn’t build that” mentality. That also means rejecting any foundational principles from their own revolution.
“You are therefore to forget it all, or resent it as if they had done you Injury. If they happen to be zealous Whigs, Friends of Liberty, nurtur’d in Revolution Principles, remember all that to their Prejudice, and contrive to punish it: For such Principles, after a Revolution is thoroughly established, are of no more Use, they are even odious and abominable.”
A bloated government is inherently paranoid. Therefore, it must operate on a single, cynical premise: Always treat your own people like the enemy.
“However peaceably your Colonies have submitted to your Government, shewn their Affection to your Interest, and patiently borne their Grievances, you are to suppose them always inclined to revolt, and treat them accordingly.”
To increase the hostility, deploy militarized enforcers directly into the communities. The goal is to actively provoke the very rebellion the government pretends it wants to prevent.
“Quarter Troops among them, who by their Insolence may provoke the rising of Mobs, and by their Bullets and Bayonets suppress them. By this Means, like the Husband who uses his Wife ill from Suspicion, you may in Time convert your Suspicions into Realities.”
Competent leadership fosters stability. To destroy an empire, establish a reverse meritocracy. Elevate the absolute worst of the worst, filling the government with corrupt, incompetent, petty hacks at every level.
“You are therefore to be careful who you recommend for those Offices. If you can find Prodigals who have ruined their Fortunes, broken Gamesters or Stock-Jobbers, these may do well as Governors; for they will probably be rapacious, and provoke the People by their Extortions. Wrangling Proctors and petty-fogging Lawyers too are not amiss, for they will be for ever disputing and quarrelling with their little Parliaments, if withal they should be ignorant, wrong-headed and insolent, so much the better. Attorneys Clerks and Newgate Solicitors will do for Chief-Justices, especially if they hold their Places during your Pleasure: And all will contribute to impress those ideas of your Government that are proper for a People you would wish to renounce it.”
To protect these corrupt hacks, the government must maintain a monopoly on accountability. Always make sure the government investigates itself. And naturally, the government must never find that the government broke the rules for the government.
“To confirm these Impressions, and strike them deeper, whenever the Injured come to the Capital with Complaints of Mal-administration, Oppression, or Injustice, punish such Suitors with long Delay, enormous Expence, and a final Judgment in Favour of the Oppressor.”
This results in two predictable outcomes. First, it actively incentivizes even more corruption from the ruling class. Second, it pushes the public right to the edge of their breaking point.
“This will have an admirable Effect every Way. The Trouble of future Complaints will be prevented, and Governors and Judges will be encouraged to farther Acts of Oppression and Injustice; and thence the People may become more disaffected, and at length desperate.”
In a free society, these government people would be in prison. Franklin instructed the empire to reward them instead.
“When such Governors have crammed their Coffers, and made themselves so odious to the People that they can no longer remain among them with Safety to their Persons, recall and reward them with Pensions. You may make them Baronets too,8 if that respectable Order should not think fit to resent it. All will contribute to encourage new Governors in the same Practices, and make the supreme Government detestable.”
Even when the public voluntarily sacrifices everything for national defense – as the colonists did during the Seven Years’ War – the government must reject their generosity. An arrogant empire prefers extorting its citizens by force – even after the war is over – rather than accepting their voluntary support.
“If when you are engaged in War, your Colonies should vie in liberal Aids of Men and Money against the common Enemy, upon your simple Requisition, and give far beyond their Abilities, reflect, that a Penny taken from them by your Power is more honourable to you than a Pound presented by their Benevolence. Despise therefore their voluntary Grants, and resolve to harrass them with novel Taxes.”
When the public inevitably complains, the government must not simply decline these requests. It must reject them, ignore them, and insult them. The people might eventually forgive a government that robs them. But absolute contempt from the political class guarantees permanent hatred.
“They will probably complain to your Parliaments that they are taxed by a Body in which they have no Representative, and that this is contrary to common Right. They will petition for Redress. Let the Parliaments flout their Claims, reject their Petitions, refuse even to suffer the reading of them, and treat the Petitioners with the utmost Contempt. Nothing can have a better Effect, in producing the Alienation proposed; for though many can forgive Injuries, none ever forgave Contempt.”
To truly crush the spirit of the people, the government must destroy the very concept of private property. It must ignore everything the people are already funding – from local infrastructure to the empire’s bloated welfare state. Instead, it must arrogantly remind them of a brutal reality: If the government can take one percent of your wealth without your consent, it inherently has the right to take the other 99 percent.
“Remember to make your arbitrary Tax more grievous to your Provinces, by public Declarations importing that your Power of taxing them has no limits, so that when you take from them without their Consent a Shilling in the Pound, you have a clear Right to the other nineteen. This will probably weaken every Idea of Security in their Property, and convince them that under such a Government they have nothing they can call their own; which can scarce fail of producing the happiest Consequences!”
Once property rights are destroyed, the government must never allow the people the comforting illusion that their remaining rights are safe. The weapon of choice is the administrative state. Drown them in mountains of regulations, eliminate trial by jury, pack the courts with corrupt judges, and weaponize asset forfeiture to plunder whatever they have left.
“To annihilate this Comfort, begin by Laws to perplex their Commerce with infinite Regulations impossible to be remembered and observed; ordain Seizures of their Property for every Failure; take away the Trial of such Property by Jury, and give it to arbitrary Judges of your own appointing, and of the lowest Characters in the Country, whose Salaries and Emoluments are to arise out of the Duties or Condemnations, and whose Appointments are during Pleasure.”
To eliminate dissent, simply redefine it. Ensure that anyone who dares to oppose the government is labeled a traitor, and use every weapon at your disposal to punish them as such.
“Then let there be a formal Declaration of both Houses, that Opposition to your Edicts is Treason, and that Persons suspected of Treason in the Provinces may, according to some obsolete Law, be seized and sent to the Metropolis of the Empire for Trial.”
Once dissent is viewed as treason, the government must make sure the entire “justice” system is stacked against the individual. Even without a conviction, it can secure its victory simply by making the legal process and the exorbitant cost of a defense the actual punishment.
“And pass an Act that those there charged with certain other Offences shall be sent away in Chains from their Friends and Country to be tried in the same Manner for Felony. Then erect a new Court of Inquisition among them, accompanied by an armed Force, with Instructions to transport all such suspected Persons, to be ruined by the Expence if they bring over Evidences to prove their Innocence, or be found guilty and hanged if they can’t afford it.”
Just when the people think the government has pushed as far as it possibly can, it must take things even further and claim unlimited power. In 1766, the British called it the Declaratory Act. Today, Washington D.C. treats the Supremacy Clause exactly the same way.
“And lest the People should think you cannot possibly go any farther, pass another solemn declaratory Act, that “King, Lords, and Commons had, hath, and of Right ought to have, full Power and Authority to make Statutes of sufficient Force and Validity to bind the unrepresented Provinces IN ALL CASES WHATSOEVER.”
The result is the complete destruction of any illusion of freedom. The government drops the polite facade and reveals a cold, hard truth: the empire claims absolute ownership over your property, your liberty, and your very life.
“This will include Spiritual with temporal; and taken together, must operate wonderfully to your Purpose, by convincing them, that they are at present under a Power something like that spoken of in the Scriptures, which can not only kill their Bodies, but damn their Souls to all Eternity, by compelling them, if it pleases, to worship the Devil.”
To enforce this absolute power, the government must deploy a massive tax enforcement army. The method is pure extortion: pay these bureaucratic enforcers lavishly with stolen loot, and unleash them to harass the citizens who actually do the real work.
“To make your Taxes more odious, and more likely to procure Resistance, send from the Capital a Board of Officers to superintend the Collection, composed of the most indiscreet, ill-bred and insolent you can find. Let these have large Salaries out of the extorted Revenue, and live in open grating Luxury upon the Sweat and Blood of the Industrious, whom they are to worry continually with groundless and expensive Prosecutions before the above-mentioned arbitrary Revenue-Judges, all at the Cost of the Party prosecuted tho’ acquitted, because the King is to pay no Costs.”
Take the money collected under the guise of national security and blatantly misapply all of it. Use the bloated defense budget as nothing more than a slush fund to enrich the swamp – the contractors, the insiders, and the political loyalists.
“Another Way to make your Tax odious, is to misapply the Produce of it. If it was originally appropriated for the Defence of the Provinces and the better Support of Government, and the Administration of Justice where it may be necessary, then apply none of it to that Defence, but bestow it where it is not necessary, in augmented Salaries or Pensions to every Governor who has distinguished himself by his Enmity to the People, and by calumniating them to their Sovereign.”
The ultimate endgame isn’t just the money. It is about manufacturing constant hostility and driving the people straight toward an inevitable crisis.
“This will make them pay it more unwillingly, and be more apt to quarrel with those that collect it, and those that imposed it, who will quarrel again with them, and all shall contribute to your main Purpose of making them weary of your Government.”
When the people complain or resist, the government must simply dismiss their concerns as fringe extremism. And most importantly, it must never, ever admit fault or change its course.
“If you are told of Discontents in your Colonies, never believe that they are general, or that you have given Occasion for them; therefore do not think of applying any Remedy, or of changing any offensive Measure. Redress no Grievance, lest they should be encouraged to demand the Redress of some other Grievance.”
To avoid accountability, the government must always blame public outrage on its political rivals. Then, to remind the people exactly who holds the monopoly on violence, throw in a public execution or two just to make a point.
“Believe nothing you hear from the Friends of the People. Suppose all their Complaints to be invented and promoted by a few factious Demagogues, whom if you could catch and hang, all would be quiet. Catch and hang a few of them accordingly; and the Blood of the Martyrs shall work Miracles in favour of your Purpose.”
If the people ever acquire enough firepower for their own genuine self-defense, the government must act swiftly to confiscate their weapons.
“If they should have lodged in such Fortress the very Arms they bought and used to aid you in your Conquests, seize them all, ’twill provoke like Ingratitude added to Robbery.”
Disarming the public is a masterstroke for destroying an empire. Gun control doesn’t just guarantee domestic tyranny; it ensures the country is left completely defenseless against foreign invaders.
“One admirable Effect of these Operations will be, to discourage every other Colony from erecting such Defences, and so their and your Enemies may more easily invade them, to the great Disgrace of your Government, and of course the Furtherance of your Project.”
Use the promise of military “protection” as a Trojan horse. Swear to defend the people from outside threats, but intentionally leave them completely exposed and move the troops directly into their neighborhoods instead.
“Send Armies into their Country under Pretence of protecting the Inhabitants; but instead of garrisoning the Forts on their Frontiers with those Troops, to prevent Incursions, demolish those Forts, and order the Troops into the Heart of the Country, that the Savages may be encouraged to attack the Frontiers, and that the Troops may be protected by the Inhabitants.”
It doesn’t matter whether the public concludes the ruling class is dangerously incompetent or actively malicious. Either way, the government loses all moral authority, convincing the people that those in charge are unfit for office.
“This will seem to proceed from your Ill will or your Ignorance, and contribute farther to produce and strengthen an Opinion among them, that you are no longer fit to govern them.”
Finally, make sure the commander-in-chief is armed with sweeping, unconstitutional powers and absolutely zero oversight. Give him everything he needs to rule by his will alone.
“Lastly, Invest the General of your Army in the Provinces with great and unconstitutional Powers, and free him from the Controul of even your own Civil Governors. Let him have Troops enow under his Command, with all the Fortresses in his Possession; and who knows but (like some provincial Generals in the Roman Empire, and encouraged by the universal Discontent you have produced) he may take it into his Head to set up for himself.”
CASE CLOSED
Follow this blueprint to the letter, and the political class will achieve its ultimate goal: the complete collapse of its own empire. The productive people will permanently sever ties, and the government will finally be free of the “burden” of ruling a free people.
“If he should, and you have carefully practised these few excellent Rules of mine, take my Word for it, all the Provinces will immediately join him, and you will that Day (if you have not done it sooner) get rid of the Trouble of governing them, and all the Plagues attending their Commerce and Connection from thenceforth and for ever.”
While Franklin detailed twenty rules in his essay, these core examples more than prove his point. He signed off with the letters Q.E.D. – the mathematical shorthand for “case closed.” The essay hit London like a sledgehammer, and as he wrote to his sister, he was completely prepared for the backlash.
“Those Papers have been much taken Notice of, many are pleased with them, and a few very angry, who I am told will make me feel their Resentment, which I must bear as well as I can, and shall bear the better if any publick Good is done, whatever the Consequence to myself.”
Franklin understood a cold truth about human nature: bullies, whether in the streets or in the government, prey on easy targets. Sometimes, simply standing your ground and kicking back is the only way to convince them to reconsider.
“In my own private Concerns with Mankind, I have observ’d that to kick a little when under Imposition, has a good Effect. A little Sturdiness when Superiors are much in the Wrong, sometimes occasions Consideration.”
The reverse is equally true: absolute submission invites absolute destruction. If a people chooses cowardice over resistance, they shouldn’t be surprised when the empire finally takes everything – their property, their liberty, and their lives.
“And there is Truth in the Old Saying, That if you make yourself a Sheep, the Wolves will eat you.”
President Trump’s Truth social post praising the bravery of Haley Stevens, whom many are now referring to as the female John Fetterman.
CFP Fan
WARNING: This picture is difficult to look at.
This is tweet regarding that horrible Lear jet crash in Florida.
Disgusted Boomer
Absolutely horrible. I heard the comms with ATC until the final seconds. I wish I hadn’t heard it. The most haunting thing I ever heard in my life.
My 🙏 for the families of the victims.
CFP Fan
I heard part of it, and the CONTR said don’t listen to the whole transmission, because it is brutal. I have not had a chance to read any of the articles regarding this crash, but despite her having reportedly over 1300 houts of flying time, I wonder if co-pilot Filgueiras was far too young, to be flying passengers?
Additionally, while I am no fan of flying, I find these smaller private planes, such a Pipers and Lear Jets, tend to crash far more often than larger passenger planes.
Getting more interesting. EU globalists in financial doo-doo?
ManilaMania
“The Philippine government imposes a 100 percent luxury tax on European automotive imports, which prompted the illicit operators to bypass customs entirely. With the gambling networks now shut down by authorities, the abandoned high-performance vehicles are slated for auction to recover the lost tax revenue.” https://www.autoblog.com/news/the-philippines-is-sitting-on-a-fortune-in-confiscated-supercars
kittypigeon
On the topic of turnout….
I’m just curious.
A few years back (remember the big red wave that never happened) during that biden thing when we were still dealing with the covid terrorism….there was an opportunity to win just about everything with turnout.
The impetus for change was unprecedented. I mean….if folks weren’t gunna vote then, when would they vote?
Anywho….I was personally convinced that folks would come out and vote like their lives depended on it. Absolutely convinced.
Of course, that’s not what happened at all.
Not even fucking close.
so…
when folks talk about turnout now, when the supposed good guys have all the control (and have done sweet fuck all with it) I’m curious what’s gunna get folks out of their comas to vote tomorrow?
Anywho, this doesn’t apply to anyone here. Everyone here’s gunna vote, and get their families to vote, and their friends and maybe a few of their little dogs too…..
But I wonder how many independents out there who lean right are gunna give a vote of confidence to this team of losers in charge at the moment?
We’ll see.
I don’t think it’s gunna be a good night, but If I’m wrong, and I hope I am, I’ll be a very happy loser?
—
In 2022, there was no red wave because Democrats voted in high numbers — they were angry about the abortion decision by the Supreme Court a few months before.
I don’t anticipate a good night for Republicans.
I just hope we can hold the Senate.
CFP Fan
Now, who is blackpilled? 😜 I think at the very least, we hold the Senate.
2A
Republicans are lukewarm. Nobody gets inspired by lukewarm, not even The Lord Himself. Nothing in their job performance the past two years makes the average person want to get up and go vote. Democrats push all the buttons for their crowd, always hot or cold, motivating low-information voters to get out and vote for the devil.
Retired_SAIC
Turnout is such a fickle beast that (IMO) it’s not really possible to predict in advance. The truly motivated have probably already voted, and those who are waiting until election day could be sidetracked by any number of issues. Bad weather, car problems, unexpected schedule changes . . . just a few examples of things that can make any individual hoped-for vote go “poof!” And, for those who already have a low-to-medium incentive level, it’s very easy to rationalize failing to vote by saying “it’s just one vote, no big deal.”
Early voting data helps, but the real turnout picture won’t be clear until tomorrow. As the Boss noted above, state and local ballot initiatives can move the needle but, unless there’s some national trend (like pro- or anti-abortion), that’s also hard to turn into predictive data. The positive side of that is, just as the “Red Wave” failed to materialize in 2022, any “Blue Wave” predicted for this year is subject to a similar fate.
Midterm Election Incoherences, Misadventures, and Paradoxes | VDH
The predicted blue wave may never materialize. And even if Democrats retake Congress, history suggests Trump could emerge stronger, not weaker, with the presidency’s expansive powers.
2022 vs. 2026
In June 2022, the price of gasoline topped $5 a gallon and stayed around $4 a gallon through October, on the eve of the midterms. It is currently about $4.30.
The inflation rate in 2022 hit a 40-year high of 9.1 percent—and would average 5.1 percent over Joe Biden’s four-year tenure. The 2026 inflation rate is estimated to be about 3.5 percent and, over the first two years of the second Trump administration, will likely average around 3 percent. GDP for the third quarter of 2026 is higher than it was in the same quarter of 2022. The poverty rate is now lower and the annual family income higher than in November 2022.
This is the hardest election to call in recent memory, IMHO. There are so many variables at play that either side can find plenty that are ripe for cherry-picking. As the Boss has stated repeatedly, it all comes down to turnout. President Trump isn’t on the ballot, yet he’s still the magnet who simultaneously attracts some voters and repels others. Polling is even more useless than usual as it’s increasingly being weaponized to push preferred narratives. Historical parallels are always informative, but not dispositive, as people vote their present circumstances. I remain hopeful, and prayerful, but nothing will surprise me.
CFThinker
The inflation rate, blah, blah, blah. P/G=$2.75 is considered the good old days now. We need a serious correction. Ain’t gonna happen without some serious soul-searching.
People, voters, need to stop the social nonsense. …texas…in order to slow the boil. Blue states are a lost cause. Midwestern swing states and texas have a huge responsibility. Do they have the balls? Can millennials and leftover boomer hippies take anything seriously instead of just whining? For once?
CFP Fan
People forget how high the price of gas was under Biden. I still see those “I did that” stickers of him on gas pumps, out on Long Island, it’s pretty hysterical.
I don’t know why people have such short term “memories.” Must be all the pot smokers and the second hand smell we have to breathe in?
kittypigeon
Oracle files to sell $20 billion in new stock and debt.
Hmm. math time.
Oracle holds 5,543,793,997 shares in treasury. These are previously unsold shares, or shares bought back by the company……companies buy back shares to drive the price of the shares up just before bonus time so that the executives can meet their targets and collect their options packages. These options are usually priced at zero dollars, so in effect, the big shots get stock for free. Using company money to buy company shares to increase the bonus packages of individuals is a dirty process, no?
But that’s not what’s going on here.
Big tech has gone cash poor. They’re all building stuff….not sure what that stuff is, Gaga renters? Something that sounds like that maybe…..anywho they’ve been offering new stock for dummies to buy in order to raise cash to build more gaga renters. If I was a fella who owned some of their stock I’d be pretty pissed off though…..Diluting the value of the stock like this is exactly, exactly, exactly, exactly like stealing from the shareholders…..but I’m sure it’s legal in some fucked up way that some communist harvard guy could explain away. I won’t be listening.
flyinpiglet
A new utility unlocks the performance of Nvidia’s 20, 30, and 40 series cards for FP16->FP32 MACs on the tensor cores that had long been artificially crippled by Nvidia. (VideoCardz)
This was done in the hardware by setting a limiting register that can never be changed on consumer cards, only allowing more expensive workstation and server models to achieve full performance.
While scholars like Carl Bogus and armchair historians like Malcolm Gladwell like to claim that the Second Amendment is rooted in racism, there’s far more evidence for the racist roots of gun control laws. From 17th century prohibitions on slaves possessing firearms in Virginia to an 1825 Florida law that allowed whites to “enter into all Negro houses” and “lawfully seize and take away all such arms, weapons, and ammunition,” early American history is replete with restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms that applied to blacks, Native Americans, and even religious minorities while leaving most white Americans free from those restrictions.
flyinpiglet
Gun Control Advocates. Desperate over the pending SCOTUS ruling in the “Assault Weapon” Ban cases… Flailing around with lost arguments. Permitting restrictions seem to be the next wave for them, as “sensitive places” is already coming undone…
CFP Fan
This has less to do about saving lives as it does moving towards totalitarianism. An armed populace is what keeps America “free.”
Mama Pajama
Mama Pajama
Election 2026
Detroit’s Whitsett not seeking reelection to state House in 2026, citing ‘spiritual’ reasons
The representative bashed the LGBTQ+ community and abortion freedoms while also indicating that she was leaving the Democratic Party on faith-based grounds. (from March 2026)
kittypigeon
Not unprecidented…..but fascinating anyway.
I wonder what the conversations are like behind closed doors. It’s gotta be out of this world.
CFP Fan
Mama,
Thanks for posting, I hope more come out to reject Mr. El Molsem Brotherhood.
Retired_SAIC
As I posted earlier, El-Sayed has not been well-received by traditionally Democrat black Michigan voters. If he fails to retain the “D” Senate seat, that’s a big win for Republicans. The House races are a crapshoot, but if Republicans hold the Senate, that effectively kills most/all the nefarious plans the extreme Left have in mind. They can hold House hearings, impeachment votes, etc., but everything will die in the Senate. We’ve lived with divided government before, and the administration appears to have planned for that possibility.
“Trump preparing to steamroll Congress if Democrats win” (UK Telegraph)
Despite the odds being against us, and the incumbent party always losing a house (usually congress) during mid terms, I (may foolishly) believe the Republicans will retain both.
It will be by the hair of their chinny chin chins, but if people turn out to vote and they overwhelm the system like they did with the POTUS, we will prevail.
I think a lot of these polls are meant to suppress and depress don’t believe them, they have been wrong far too many times to count.
If, we God forbid lose one, it will more likely be the Congress than the Senate, I don’t believe we will lose both, but that is just my stupid opinion.
Finally, when it comes to someone like an El Moslem Brotherhood, this is a spiritual war. I heard a pundit say, if he gets seated, he expressed his interest to be placed on the Foreign Affairs committee where he, like Omug before him, will have access to classified material, that he can pass on to his terrorist buddies. We CANNOT allow this to happen, VOTE ROGERS MICHIGAN.
Retired_SAIC
From your lips to God’s ear! 🙏
I’m cautiously optimistic about the Senate. I think El-Sayed will lose because he’s too extreme for many Dems and unappealing to Jews and black voters. I also think Collins will win in Maine, mostly because of the incumbency effect. And I think Paxton, for all his issues, will defeat Talarico. I could be wrong, but that’s my gut feeling.
The House is always more complicated because more races introduce more variables. One of those variables is something I’m calling the “Trump Polarization Effect,” which will tend to drive both strong conservatives and strong liberals to the polls. But I think we’re in uncharted territory when it comes to how that effect will play out with independents.
p.s. Also, as much as we would like to replace RINOs with MAGA stalwarts, if we retain the Senate we may well have Susan Collins to thank.
CFP Fan
Right, let’s see.
The Boss usually accuses me of being black pilled, and I admittedly usually am, but I am trying to put good energy out there and stay optimistic. Try and picture both houses painted Red.
ManilaMania
“Mr. Hegseth was in Cebu from Oct. 27 to 29 for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, where he proposed an “ambitious” US-ASEAN defense framework that will guide joint initiatives in the coming years” https://bworldonline.com/the-nation/2026/11/02/790907/us-reaffirms-phl-commitment/
Mama Pajama
Thought Criminal
From The Stack–
‘… French Riot Cop set on fire…’
Please Jesus save Europe from themselves.
Mama Pajama
flyinpiglet
Good advise. Especially for those behind the Big Blue Lines…
Texdeb
Indeed! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 praying for us all…..for strength and patience…….and resolve!!!
ChesterMcCloud
Somewhere Chairman Winnie is grinning.
“Japan made the immediate release of a Hokkaido Shimbun reporter detained by Russia its top priority, but Moscow remained silent on the issue. Instead, Russia pressured Tokyo by demanding the lifting of sanctions as a condition for resuming dialogue.
Re this headline: Republicans see low turnout in Texas.
According to Dana Loesch (and Day-zee from the “Chicks On The Right”), who both live in Texas, they both stated that Republican Texans tend to only vote on Election Day.
Loesch said her only concern with that, is that when one waits for the day of, there could be long lines, “problems” with machines, poll location “issues”etc. We witnessed that with Kari Lake’s “election” in Arizona, where they had problems at polling locations
Loesch was encouraging people to bank their votes early, but many people are regimented and stubborn. We can only hope all conservative Texans come out tomorrow, in the Lone Star state, and do not allow Tallafreako to get into office.
If there are any Texans reading this, please go out and vote today, do not wait until tomorrow, if you can. Thank you.
I am a New Yorker, with a sick canine, and I voted on the FIRST day of early voting (Saturday, October 24th). My handicapped mother, who needs a wheelchair, voted the next day. There are ZERO excuses.
Chuck Roast
@ CFP Fan:
Our early voting in Texas ended this past Friday. We have a cold front entering Texas tonight and its expected to bring rain. So we may have a lower turnout than we need on the sane side of the aisle. And this past year it seems a third of California leftist have entered our once great State.
Of course I, like you, voted early. I have ALWAYS done so because I don’t like to stand in line for a long time being watched by blue haired Dem/Socialist election workers.
We are praying every evening that our nation remains sane and people who are sane go out and vote. But the Dems have been working hard to push the “Get out the imbeciles” vote.
CFP Fan
Thank you Mr. Roast,
For being sensible and doing your part, all we can do is put good energy out into the universe.
First published in 1967 in commemoration
of the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution
This is an Internet version of Victor Vashi’s original book, which is long out of print and the publisher no longer exists.
The message of this book is so vital and well delivered we felt it a shame not to share it with the world. Especially considering the recent attempts by Russia’s ruling elite to bring back the glory of the good old USSR.
Copies can still be found here and there, it’s a good piece of history to own
RE: Election Returns
Ladies, please remember, theses two words: Baked Goods.
There is not a whole lot in this world, that Baked Goods can not make better, be it a celebration of victory, or comfort in defeat.
I just spent half of the day helping Dear Ms. Betty, the widow down the road, with her autumn yard chores. Her son had recently passed on, and she has no one to assist her, but, she has me., and I have a plate of delicious cookies.i am a sucker for Cookies !
BAKED GOODS !
Bless you Rain!
The ebola crisis is spreading, here we go again, we need to ground flights coming from these affected areas.
A disease that health officials have described as the fastest-spreading on record in Africa shows no signs of slowing down, and may soon afflict those outside the continent.
The unprecedented spread of Ebola has resulted in thousands of cases, with Nigeria reporting its first case in more than a decade last month, and additional reports in Kenya and other African countries.
While the majority of cases are currently affecting those in Africa, health experts are warning that the situation could change and countries should start increasing preparedness now.
“We want all countries to know that they are not safe if they don’t take appropriate measures,” Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the Guardian.
Cases have been linked to the Bundibugyo variant, a less common strain that has a high death rate and no approved treatment or vaccine.
Currently, the CDC reports the likelihood of Ebola reaching the US is low, and the agency has issued a new Ebola-related travel requirement intended to reduce the risk of Ebola entering the US.
Florida Learjet crash victims ID’d as tech entrepreneur, toddler kids, wife and nanny:
The passengers on board a private jet that crashed in Florida, killing all on board, have been identified as a Texas multimillionaire tech entrepreneur and his family, as well as their children’s nanny and two close friends.
Adam Robinson, 44, and his wife, Helen, were among the nine killed when their $2 million Learjet 60 that they were taking from Austin to the Bahamas nosedived in Palm Beach County, Florida, sources close to the family told TMZ.
Also on the plane: The pilot, 55-year-old Jeff Gregory, an experienced pilot from Pennsylvania and the co-pilot as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a Florida-based pilot.
On a lighter note – whenever i see bear stories in the stack I’m reminded of this little gem that Shep used to often play:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa1pIO4_lUY
Happy Birthday to Daniel Boone!
Everyone Needs To Know The Real Story of Daniel Boone
@MattWalsh
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1WRenaIB9kM&pp=ygUYZGFuaWVsIGJvb25lIGRvY3VtZW50YXJ5
This is the face of the left, and of course, the cops released her….UNREAL
Lock Her Up For Life…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gjPyUjDiro
…And here it is from P-uke (or P-ravda) B-roadcasting S-limes:
Apologies for the long post, it’s a copy/paste situation.
Benjamin Franklin’s Forgotten Rules
by
Michael Boldin
November 2, 2026
How to Bring Down an Empire
“Empires, by Pride & Folly & Extravagance, ruin themselves like Individuals”
Benjamin Franklin knew the pattern all through history: Collapse is self-inflicted. In 1773, he wrote a masterpiece of biting satire detailing 20 rules for how a great empire destroys itself from within. The formula is simple: make the government so detestable that the people want secession at any cost.
It was supposed to be a warning, but the British ignored it and learned their lesson the hard way.
Read his rules and judge for yourself. Is this just another history lesson? Or is it an instruction manual still being followed by the empire we live under today?
WEAPONIZED SATIRE
Benjamin Franklin spent years trying to reason with the British government. But, as he wrote to his sister Jane Mecom, he finally realized that being polite to politicians is a waste of time.
“I had us’d all the smooth Words I could muster, and I grew tir’d of Meekness when I saw it without Effect. Of late therefore I have been saucy.”
On September 11, 1773 – just months after the Tea Act was passed – that “sauciness” took the form of a brilliant essay anonymously published in a London paper: Rules By Which A Great Empire May Be Reduced To A Small One. He took the worst abuses inflicted on the American colonies, and repackaged them as twenty “helpful tips” for the British government to convince the people to hate it. The result? An empire chopped down to size by secession, guaranteed.
He wasn’t just shaming them. As he told Mecom, he was forcing them to look in the mirror.
“I have held up a Looking-Glass in which some Ministers may see their ugly Faces, and the Nation its Injustice.”
He opened the essay by framing it as a leaked government memo – a direct shot at Lord Hillsborough, the former Secretary of State for the Colonies.
“Presented privately to a late Minister, when he entered upon his Administration; and now first published.”
Franklin then drew a sharp contrast. He started with the ancient Greek leader Themistocles – a man who didn’t waste time on trivial politics because he was too busy doing the hard work of building a society. Then, he flipped the script with some self-deprecating humor.
“An ancient Sage valued himself upon this, that tho’ he could not fiddle, he knew how to make a great City of a little one.”
“The Science that I, a modern Simpleton, am about to communicate is the very reverse.”
He framed it like a self-help guide. Managing a massive empire is simply too much work for politicians who just want more leisure time.
“I address myself to all Ministers who have the Management of extensive Dominions, which from their very Greatness are become troublesome to govern, because the Multiplicity of their Affairs leaves no Time for fiddling.”
THE RULES
Franklin started his rules with simple geography. Start at the edges and let the implosion work its way in from there.
“In the first Place, Gentlemen, you are to consider, that a great Empire, like a great Cake, is most easily diminished at the Edges. Turn your Attention therefore first to your remotest Provinces; that as you get rid of them, the next may follow in Order.”
The best way to accelerate that process is to treat the people as second-class citizens. Make sure they have no real representation. Use “law” as a weapon to attack their rights. And cut off free trade.
“Take special Care the Provinces are never incorporated with the Mother Country, that they do not enjoy the same common Rights, the same Privileges in Commerce, and that they are governed by severer Laws, all of your enacting, without allowing them any Share in the Choice of the Legislators.”
Despite all the blood, sweat and tears the people spent building the colonies, the government must adopt an arrogant “you didn’t build that” mentality. That also means rejecting any foundational principles from their own revolution.
“You are therefore to forget it all, or resent it as if they had done you Injury. If they happen to be zealous Whigs, Friends of Liberty, nurtur’d in Revolution Principles, remember all that to their Prejudice, and contrive to punish it: For such Principles, after a Revolution is thoroughly established, are of no more Use, they are even odious and abominable.”
A bloated government is inherently paranoid. Therefore, it must operate on a single, cynical premise: Always treat your own people like the enemy.
“However peaceably your Colonies have submitted to your Government, shewn their Affection to your Interest, and patiently borne their Grievances, you are to suppose them always inclined to revolt, and treat them accordingly.”
To increase the hostility, deploy militarized enforcers directly into the communities. The goal is to actively provoke the very rebellion the government pretends it wants to prevent.
“Quarter Troops among them, who by their Insolence may provoke the rising of Mobs, and by their Bullets and Bayonets suppress them. By this Means, like the Husband who uses his Wife ill from Suspicion, you may in Time convert your Suspicions into Realities.”
Competent leadership fosters stability. To destroy an empire, establish a reverse meritocracy. Elevate the absolute worst of the worst, filling the government with corrupt, incompetent, petty hacks at every level.
“You are therefore to be careful who you recommend for those Offices. If you can find Prodigals who have ruined their Fortunes, broken Gamesters or Stock-Jobbers, these may do well as Governors; for they will probably be rapacious, and provoke the People by their Extortions. Wrangling Proctors and petty-fogging Lawyers too are not amiss, for they will be for ever disputing and quarrelling with their little Parliaments, if withal they should be ignorant, wrong-headed and insolent, so much the better. Attorneys Clerks and Newgate Solicitors will do for Chief-Justices, especially if they hold their Places during your Pleasure: And all will contribute to impress those ideas of your Government that are proper for a People you would wish to renounce it.”
To protect these corrupt hacks, the government must maintain a monopoly on accountability. Always make sure the government investigates itself. And naturally, the government must never find that the government broke the rules for the government.
“To confirm these Impressions, and strike them deeper, whenever the Injured come to the Capital with Complaints of Mal-administration, Oppression, or Injustice, punish such Suitors with long Delay, enormous Expence, and a final Judgment in Favour of the Oppressor.”
This results in two predictable outcomes. First, it actively incentivizes even more corruption from the ruling class. Second, it pushes the public right to the edge of their breaking point.
“This will have an admirable Effect every Way. The Trouble of future Complaints will be prevented, and Governors and Judges will be encouraged to farther Acts of Oppression and Injustice; and thence the People may become more disaffected, and at length desperate.”
In a free society, these government people would be in prison. Franklin instructed the empire to reward them instead.
“When such Governors have crammed their Coffers, and made themselves so odious to the People that they can no longer remain among them with Safety to their Persons, recall and reward them with Pensions. You may make them Baronets too,8 if that respectable Order should not think fit to resent it. All will contribute to encourage new Governors in the same Practices, and make the supreme Government detestable.”
Even when the public voluntarily sacrifices everything for national defense – as the colonists did during the Seven Years’ War – the government must reject their generosity. An arrogant empire prefers extorting its citizens by force – even after the war is over – rather than accepting their voluntary support.
“If when you are engaged in War, your Colonies should vie in liberal Aids of Men and Money against the common Enemy, upon your simple Requisition, and give far beyond their Abilities, reflect, that a Penny taken from them by your Power is more honourable to you than a Pound presented by their Benevolence. Despise therefore their voluntary Grants, and resolve to harrass them with novel Taxes.”
When the public inevitably complains, the government must not simply decline these requests. It must reject them, ignore them, and insult them. The people might eventually forgive a government that robs them. But absolute contempt from the political class guarantees permanent hatred.
“They will probably complain to your Parliaments that they are taxed by a Body in which they have no Representative, and that this is contrary to common Right. They will petition for Redress. Let the Parliaments flout their Claims, reject their Petitions, refuse even to suffer the reading of them, and treat the Petitioners with the utmost Contempt. Nothing can have a better Effect, in producing the Alienation proposed; for though many can forgive Injuries, none ever forgave Contempt.”
To truly crush the spirit of the people, the government must destroy the very concept of private property. It must ignore everything the people are already funding – from local infrastructure to the empire’s bloated welfare state. Instead, it must arrogantly remind them of a brutal reality: If the government can take one percent of your wealth without your consent, it inherently has the right to take the other 99 percent.
“Remember to make your arbitrary Tax more grievous to your Provinces, by public Declarations importing that your Power of taxing them has no limits, so that when you take from them without their Consent a Shilling in the Pound, you have a clear Right to the other nineteen. This will probably weaken every Idea of Security in their Property, and convince them that under such a Government they have nothing they can call their own; which can scarce fail of producing the happiest Consequences!”
Once property rights are destroyed, the government must never allow the people the comforting illusion that their remaining rights are safe. The weapon of choice is the administrative state. Drown them in mountains of regulations, eliminate trial by jury, pack the courts with corrupt judges, and weaponize asset forfeiture to plunder whatever they have left.
“To annihilate this Comfort, begin by Laws to perplex their Commerce with infinite Regulations impossible to be remembered and observed; ordain Seizures of their Property for every Failure; take away the Trial of such Property by Jury, and give it to arbitrary Judges of your own appointing, and of the lowest Characters in the Country, whose Salaries and Emoluments are to arise out of the Duties or Condemnations, and whose Appointments are during Pleasure.”
To eliminate dissent, simply redefine it. Ensure that anyone who dares to oppose the government is labeled a traitor, and use every weapon at your disposal to punish them as such.
“Then let there be a formal Declaration of both Houses, that Opposition to your Edicts is Treason, and that Persons suspected of Treason in the Provinces may, according to some obsolete Law, be seized and sent to the Metropolis of the Empire for Trial.”
Once dissent is viewed as treason, the government must make sure the entire “justice” system is stacked against the individual. Even without a conviction, it can secure its victory simply by making the legal process and the exorbitant cost of a defense the actual punishment.
“And pass an Act that those there charged with certain other Offences shall be sent away in Chains from their Friends and Country to be tried in the same Manner for Felony. Then erect a new Court of Inquisition among them, accompanied by an armed Force, with Instructions to transport all such suspected Persons, to be ruined by the Expence if they bring over Evidences to prove their Innocence, or be found guilty and hanged if they can’t afford it.”
Just when the people think the government has pushed as far as it possibly can, it must take things even further and claim unlimited power. In 1766, the British called it the Declaratory Act. Today, Washington D.C. treats the Supremacy Clause exactly the same way.
“And lest the People should think you cannot possibly go any farther, pass another solemn declaratory Act, that “King, Lords, and Commons had, hath, and of Right ought to have, full Power and Authority to make Statutes of sufficient Force and Validity to bind the unrepresented Provinces IN ALL CASES WHATSOEVER.”
The result is the complete destruction of any illusion of freedom. The government drops the polite facade and reveals a cold, hard truth: the empire claims absolute ownership over your property, your liberty, and your very life.
“This will include Spiritual with temporal; and taken together, must operate wonderfully to your Purpose, by convincing them, that they are at present under a Power something like that spoken of in the Scriptures, which can not only kill their Bodies, but damn their Souls to all Eternity, by compelling them, if it pleases, to worship the Devil.”
To enforce this absolute power, the government must deploy a massive tax enforcement army. The method is pure extortion: pay these bureaucratic enforcers lavishly with stolen loot, and unleash them to harass the citizens who actually do the real work.
“To make your Taxes more odious, and more likely to procure Resistance, send from the Capital a Board of Officers to superintend the Collection, composed of the most indiscreet, ill-bred and insolent you can find. Let these have large Salaries out of the extorted Revenue, and live in open grating Luxury upon the Sweat and Blood of the Industrious, whom they are to worry continually with groundless and expensive Prosecutions before the above-mentioned arbitrary Revenue-Judges, all at the Cost of the Party prosecuted tho’ acquitted, because the King is to pay no Costs.”
Take the money collected under the guise of national security and blatantly misapply all of it. Use the bloated defense budget as nothing more than a slush fund to enrich the swamp – the contractors, the insiders, and the political loyalists.
“Another Way to make your Tax odious, is to misapply the Produce of it. If it was originally appropriated for the Defence of the Provinces and the better Support of Government, and the Administration of Justice where it may be necessary, then apply none of it to that Defence, but bestow it where it is not necessary, in augmented Salaries or Pensions to every Governor who has distinguished himself by his Enmity to the People, and by calumniating them to their Sovereign.”
The ultimate endgame isn’t just the money. It is about manufacturing constant hostility and driving the people straight toward an inevitable crisis.
“This will make them pay it more unwillingly, and be more apt to quarrel with those that collect it, and those that imposed it, who will quarrel again with them, and all shall contribute to your main Purpose of making them weary of your Government.”
When the people complain or resist, the government must simply dismiss their concerns as fringe extremism. And most importantly, it must never, ever admit fault or change its course.
“If you are told of Discontents in your Colonies, never believe that they are general, or that you have given Occasion for them; therefore do not think of applying any Remedy, or of changing any offensive Measure. Redress no Grievance, lest they should be encouraged to demand the Redress of some other Grievance.”
To avoid accountability, the government must always blame public outrage on its political rivals. Then, to remind the people exactly who holds the monopoly on violence, throw in a public execution or two just to make a point.
“Believe nothing you hear from the Friends of the People. Suppose all their Complaints to be invented and promoted by a few factious Demagogues, whom if you could catch and hang, all would be quiet. Catch and hang a few of them accordingly; and the Blood of the Martyrs shall work Miracles in favour of your Purpose.”
If the people ever acquire enough firepower for their own genuine self-defense, the government must act swiftly to confiscate their weapons.
“If they should have lodged in such Fortress the very Arms they bought and used to aid you in your Conquests, seize them all, ’twill provoke like Ingratitude added to Robbery.”
Disarming the public is a masterstroke for destroying an empire. Gun control doesn’t just guarantee domestic tyranny; it ensures the country is left completely defenseless against foreign invaders.
“One admirable Effect of these Operations will be, to discourage every other Colony from erecting such Defences, and so their and your Enemies may more easily invade them, to the great Disgrace of your Government, and of course the Furtherance of your Project.”
Use the promise of military “protection” as a Trojan horse. Swear to defend the people from outside threats, but intentionally leave them completely exposed and move the troops directly into their neighborhoods instead.
“Send Armies into their Country under Pretence of protecting the Inhabitants; but instead of garrisoning the Forts on their Frontiers with those Troops, to prevent Incursions, demolish those Forts, and order the Troops into the Heart of the Country, that the Savages may be encouraged to attack the Frontiers, and that the Troops may be protected by the Inhabitants.”
It doesn’t matter whether the public concludes the ruling class is dangerously incompetent or actively malicious. Either way, the government loses all moral authority, convincing the people that those in charge are unfit for office.
“This will seem to proceed from your Ill will or your Ignorance, and contribute farther to produce and strengthen an Opinion among them, that you are no longer fit to govern them.”
Finally, make sure the commander-in-chief is armed with sweeping, unconstitutional powers and absolutely zero oversight. Give him everything he needs to rule by his will alone.
“Lastly, Invest the General of your Army in the Provinces with great and unconstitutional Powers, and free him from the Controul of even your own Civil Governors. Let him have Troops enow under his Command, with all the Fortresses in his Possession; and who knows but (like some provincial Generals in the Roman Empire, and encouraged by the universal Discontent you have produced) he may take it into his Head to set up for himself.”
CASE CLOSED
Follow this blueprint to the letter, and the political class will achieve its ultimate goal: the complete collapse of its own empire. The productive people will permanently sever ties, and the government will finally be free of the “burden” of ruling a free people.
“If he should, and you have carefully practised these few excellent Rules of mine, take my Word for it, all the Provinces will immediately join him, and you will that Day (if you have not done it sooner) get rid of the Trouble of governing them, and all the Plagues attending their Commerce and Connection from thenceforth and for ever.”
While Franklin detailed twenty rules in his essay, these core examples more than prove his point. He signed off with the letters Q.E.D. – the mathematical shorthand for “case closed.” The essay hit London like a sledgehammer, and as he wrote to his sister, he was completely prepared for the backlash.
“Those Papers have been much taken Notice of, many are pleased with them, and a few very angry, who I am told will make me feel their Resentment, which I must bear as well as I can, and shall bear the better if any publick Good is done, whatever the Consequence to myself.”
Franklin understood a cold truth about human nature: bullies, whether in the streets or in the government, prey on easy targets. Sometimes, simply standing your ground and kicking back is the only way to convince them to reconsider.
“In my own private Concerns with Mankind, I have observ’d that to kick a little when under Imposition, has a good Effect. A little Sturdiness when Superiors are much in the Wrong, sometimes occasions Consideration.”
The reverse is equally true: absolute submission invites absolute destruction. If a people chooses cowardice over resistance, they shouldn’t be surprised when the empire finally takes everything – their property, their liberty, and their lives.
“And there is Truth in the Old Saying, That if you make yourself a Sheep, the Wolves will eat you.”
Pay up. Even in Lebanon.
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/lebanon-news/965998/edl-cuts-electricity-to-public-institutions-over-unpaid-bills-restores/en
“This unprecedented move, in terms of its sweeping scope, targets ministries, official bodies, water authorities, and municipalities. It comes amid a severe financial crisis confronting the state utility due to the accumulation of public sector debts.”
https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5336780-lebanon%E2%80%99s-edl-begins-cutting-power-ministries-municipalities-and-public
President Trump’s Truth social post praising the bravery of Haley Stevens, whom many are now referring to as the female John Fetterman.
WARNING: This picture is difficult to look at.
This is tweet regarding that horrible Lear jet crash in Florida.
Absolutely horrible. I heard the comms with ATC until the final seconds. I wish I hadn’t heard it. The most haunting thing I ever heard in my life.
My 🙏 for the families of the victims.
I heard part of it, and the CONTR said don’t listen to the whole transmission, because it is brutal. I have not had a chance to read any of the articles regarding this crash, but despite her having reportedly over 1300 houts of flying time, I wonder if co-pilot Filgueiras was far too young, to be flying passengers?
Additionally, while I am no fan of flying, I find these smaller private planes, such a Pipers and Lear Jets, tend to crash far more often than larger passenger planes.
As per the stack: Car sales collapse in China.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.
Why you little…
https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/belgium-pm-set-to-resign-following-failed-budget-talks-local-media-137372373
Getting more interesting. EU globalists in financial doo-doo?
“The Philippine government imposes a 100 percent luxury tax on European automotive imports, which prompted the illicit operators to bypass customs entirely. With the gambling networks now shut down by authorities, the abandoned high-performance vehicles are slated for auction to recover the lost tax revenue.”
https://www.autoblog.com/news/the-philippines-is-sitting-on-a-fortune-in-confiscated-supercars
On the topic of turnout….
I’m just curious.
A few years back (remember the big red wave that never happened) during that biden thing when we were still dealing with the covid terrorism….there was an opportunity to win just about everything with turnout.
The impetus for change was unprecedented. I mean….if folks weren’t gunna vote then, when would they vote?
Anywho….I was personally convinced that folks would come out and vote like their lives depended on it. Absolutely convinced.
Of course, that’s not what happened at all.
Not even fucking close.
so…
when folks talk about turnout now, when the supposed good guys have all the control (and have done sweet fuck all with it) I’m curious what’s gunna get folks out of their comas to vote tomorrow?
Anywho, this doesn’t apply to anyone here. Everyone here’s gunna vote, and get their families to vote, and their friends and maybe a few of their little dogs too…..
But I wonder how many independents out there who lean right are gunna give a vote of confidence to this team of losers in charge at the moment?
We’ll see.
I don’t think it’s gunna be a good night, but If I’m wrong, and I hope I am, I’ll be a very happy loser?
—
In 2022, there was no red wave because Democrats voted in high numbers — they were angry about the abortion decision by the Supreme Court a few months before.
I don’t anticipate a good night for Republicans.
I just hope we can hold the Senate.
Now, who is blackpilled? 😜 I think at the very least, we hold the Senate.
Republicans are lukewarm. Nobody gets inspired by lukewarm, not even The Lord Himself. Nothing in their job performance the past two years makes the average person want to get up and go vote. Democrats push all the buttons for their crowd, always hot or cold, motivating low-information voters to get out and vote for the devil.
Turnout is such a fickle beast that (IMO) it’s not really possible to predict in advance. The truly motivated have probably already voted, and those who are waiting until election day could be sidetracked by any number of issues. Bad weather, car problems, unexpected schedule changes . . . just a few examples of things that can make any individual hoped-for vote go “poof!” And, for those who already have a low-to-medium incentive level, it’s very easy to rationalize failing to vote by saying “it’s just one vote, no big deal.”
Early voting data helps, but the real turnout picture won’t be clear until tomorrow. As the Boss noted above, state and local ballot initiatives can move the needle but, unless there’s some national trend (like pro- or anti-abortion), that’s also hard to turn into predictive data. The positive side of that is, just as the “Red Wave” failed to materialize in 2022, any “Blue Wave” predicted for this year is subject to a similar fate.
VOTE VOTE VOTE
Foreigner – Urgent (Official Music Video) | RHINO
https://youtu.be/Lcb-Fsx_phM
Midterm Election Incoherences, Misadventures, and Paradoxes | VDH
The predicted blue wave may never materialize. And even if Democrats retake Congress, history suggests Trump could emerge stronger, not weaker, with the presidency’s expansive powers.
2022 vs. 2026
In June 2022, the price of gasoline topped $5 a gallon and stayed around $4 a gallon through October, on the eve of the midterms. It is currently about $4.30.
The inflation rate in 2022 hit a 40-year high of 9.1 percent—and would average 5.1 percent over Joe Biden’s four-year tenure. The 2026 inflation rate is estimated to be about 3.5 percent and, over the first two years of the second Trump administration, will likely average around 3 percent. GDP for the third quarter of 2026 is higher than it was in the same quarter of 2022. The poverty rate is now lower and the annual family income higher than in November 2022.
Yet we are told that gas prices and inflation are at record levels and will doom the Republicans—even though similar economic data did not harm Democrats all that much in the 2022 midterms.
https://www.realclearpolicy.com/2026/11/02/midterm_election_paradoxes_1214657.html
https://www.newenglishreview.org/midterm-election-incoherences-misadventures-and-paradoxes/
This is the hardest election to call in recent memory, IMHO. There are so many variables at play that either side can find plenty that are ripe for cherry-picking. As the Boss has stated repeatedly, it all comes down to turnout. President Trump isn’t on the ballot, yet he’s still the magnet who simultaneously attracts some voters and repels others. Polling is even more useless than usual as it’s increasingly being weaponized to push preferred narratives. Historical parallels are always informative, but not dispositive, as people vote their present circumstances. I remain hopeful, and prayerful, but nothing will surprise me.
The inflation rate, blah, blah, blah. P/G=$2.75 is considered the good old days now. We need a serious correction. Ain’t gonna happen without some serious soul-searching.
People, voters, need to stop the social nonsense. …texas…in order to slow the boil. Blue states are a lost cause. Midwestern swing states and texas have a huge responsibility. Do they have the balls? Can millennials and leftover boomer hippies take anything seriously instead of just whining? For once?
People forget how high the price of gas was under Biden. I still see those “I did that” stickers of him on gas pumps, out on Long Island, it’s pretty hysterical.
I don’t know why people have such short term “memories.” Must be all the pot smokers and the second hand smell we have to breathe in?
Oracle files to sell $20 billion in new stock and debt.
Hmm. math time.
Oracle holds 5,543,793,997 shares in treasury. These are previously unsold shares, or shares bought back by the company……companies buy back shares to drive the price of the shares up just before bonus time so that the executives can meet their targets and collect their options packages. These options are usually priced at zero dollars, so in effect, the big shots get stock for free. Using company money to buy company shares to increase the bonus packages of individuals is a dirty process, no?
But that’s not what’s going on here.
Big tech has gone cash poor. They’re all building stuff….not sure what that stuff is, Gaga renters? Something that sounds like that maybe…..anywho they’ve been offering new stock for dummies to buy in order to raise cash to build more gaga renters. If I was a fella who owned some of their stock I’d be pretty pissed off though…..Diluting the value of the stock like this is exactly, exactly, exactly, exactly like stealing from the shareholders…..but I’m sure it’s legal in some fucked up way that some communist harvard guy could explain away. I won’t be listening.
A new utility unlocks the performance of Nvidia’s 20, 30, and 40 series cards for FP16->FP32 MACs on the tensor cores that had long been artificially crippled by Nvidia. (VideoCardz)
This was done in the hardware by setting a limiting register that can never be changed on consumer cards, only allowing more expensive workstation and server models to achieve full performance.
But someone discovered a bug in the hardware that lets anyone with a consumer card basically crash it so that the register is cleared. [Pixy Misa]
https://videocardz.com/newz/modders-unlock-hidden-ai-performance-on-nvidia-rtx-20-30-and-40-series-gpus-with-up-to-2x-tensor-throughput
The Ugly History Gun Control Advocates Want the Supreme Court to Embrace
Cam Edwards
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2026/11/01/ugly-history-gun-control-advocates-supreme-court-embrace-n1234325
While scholars like Carl Bogus and armchair historians like Malcolm Gladwell like to claim that the Second Amendment is rooted in racism, there’s far more evidence for the racist roots of gun control laws. From 17th century prohibitions on slaves possessing firearms in Virginia to an 1825 Florida law that allowed whites to “enter into all Negro houses” and “lawfully seize and take away all such arms, weapons, and ammunition,” early American history is replete with restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms that applied to blacks, Native Americans, and even religious minorities while leaving most white Americans free from those restrictions.
Gun Control Advocates. Desperate over the pending SCOTUS ruling in the “Assault Weapon” Ban cases… Flailing around with lost arguments. Permitting restrictions seem to be the next wave for them, as “sensitive places” is already coming undone…
This has less to do about saving lives as it does moving towards totalitarianism. An armed populace is what keeps America “free.”
Election 2026
Detroit’s Whitsett not seeking reelection to state House in 2026, citing ‘spiritual’ reasons
The representative bashed the LGBTQ+ community and abortion freedoms while also indicating that she was leaving the Democratic Party on faith-based grounds. (from March 2026)
Not unprecidented…..but fascinating anyway.
I wonder what the conversations are like behind closed doors. It’s gotta be out of this world.
Mama,
Thanks for posting, I hope more come out to reject Mr. El Molsem Brotherhood.
As I posted earlier, El-Sayed has not been well-received by traditionally Democrat black Michigan voters. If he fails to retain the “D” Senate seat, that’s a big win for Republicans. The House races are a crapshoot, but if Republicans hold the Senate, that effectively kills most/all the nefarious plans the extreme Left have in mind. They can hold House hearings, impeachment votes, etc., but everything will die in the Senate. We’ve lived with divided government before, and the administration appears to have planned for that possibility.
“Trump preparing to steamroll Congress if Democrats win” (UK Telegraph)
https://archive.ph/A9rkQ
Hello, R_SAIC,
Despite the odds being against us, and the incumbent party always losing a house (usually congress) during mid terms, I (may foolishly) believe the Republicans will retain both.
It will be by the hair of their chinny chin chins, but if people turn out to vote and they overwhelm the system like they did with the POTUS, we will prevail.
I think a lot of these polls are meant to suppress and depress don’t believe them, they have been wrong far too many times to count.
If, we God forbid lose one, it will more likely be the Congress than the Senate, I don’t believe we will lose both, but that is just my stupid opinion.
Finally, when it comes to someone like an El Moslem Brotherhood, this is a spiritual war. I heard a pundit say, if he gets seated, he expressed his interest to be placed on the Foreign Affairs committee where he, like Omug before him, will have access to classified material, that he can pass on to his terrorist buddies. We CANNOT allow this to happen, VOTE ROGERS MICHIGAN.
From your lips to God’s ear! 🙏
I’m cautiously optimistic about the Senate. I think El-Sayed will lose because he’s too extreme for many Dems and unappealing to Jews and black voters. I also think Collins will win in Maine, mostly because of the incumbency effect. And I think Paxton, for all his issues, will defeat Talarico. I could be wrong, but that’s my gut feeling.
The House is always more complicated because more races introduce more variables. One of those variables is something I’m calling the “Trump Polarization Effect,” which will tend to drive both strong conservatives and strong liberals to the polls. But I think we’re in uncharted territory when it comes to how that effect will play out with independents.
p.s. Also, as much as we would like to replace RINOs with MAGA stalwarts, if we retain the Senate we may well have Susan Collins to thank.
Right, let’s see.
The Boss usually accuses me of being black pilled, and I admittedly usually am, but I am trying to put good energy out there and stay optimistic. Try and picture both houses painted Red.
“Mr. Hegseth was in Cebu from Oct. 27 to 29 for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, where he proposed an “ambitious” US-ASEAN defense framework that will guide joint initiatives in the coming years”
https://bworldonline.com/the-nation/2026/11/02/790907/us-reaffirms-phl-commitment/
From The Stack–
‘… French Riot Cop set on fire…’
Please Jesus save Europe from themselves.
Good advise. Especially for those behind the Big Blue Lines…
Indeed! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 praying for us all…..for strength and patience…….and resolve!!!
Somewhere Chairman Winnie is grinning.
“Japan made the immediate release of a Hokkaido Shimbun reporter detained by Russia its top priority, but Moscow remained silent on the issue. Instead, Russia pressured Tokyo by demanding the lifting of sanctions as a condition for resuming dialogue.
The Japanese government plans to explore various diplomatic channels to secure the journalist’s release.”
https://asianews.network/japan-russia-remain-at-odds-over-detained-japanese-journalist-as-moscow-demands-end-to-sanctions/
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20261102/p2a/00m/0op/003000c
Good morning, Patriots,
Re this headline: Republicans see low turnout in Texas.
According to Dana Loesch (and Day-zee from the “Chicks On The Right”), who both live in Texas, they both stated that Republican Texans tend to only vote on Election Day.
Loesch said her only concern with that, is that when one waits for the day of, there could be long lines, “problems” with machines, poll location “issues”etc. We witnessed that with Kari Lake’s “election” in Arizona, where they had problems at polling locations
Loesch was encouraging people to bank their votes early, but many people are regimented and stubborn. We can only hope all conservative Texans come out tomorrow, in the Lone Star state, and do not allow Tallafreako to get into office.
If there are any Texans reading this, please go out and vote today, do not wait until tomorrow, if you can. Thank you.
I am a New Yorker, with a sick canine, and I voted on the FIRST day of early voting (Saturday, October 24th). My handicapped mother, who needs a wheelchair, voted the next day. There are ZERO excuses.
@ CFP Fan:
Our early voting in Texas ended this past Friday. We have a cold front entering Texas tonight and its expected to bring rain. So we may have a lower turnout than we need on the sane side of the aisle. And this past year it seems a third of California leftist have entered our once great State.
Of course I, like you, voted early. I have ALWAYS done so because I don’t like to stand in line for a long time being watched by blue haired Dem/Socialist election workers.
We are praying every evening that our nation remains sane and people who are sane go out and vote. But the Dems have been working hard to push the “Get out the imbeciles” vote.
Thank you Mr. Roast,
For being sensible and doing your part, all we can do is put good energy out into the universe.
Two Days ago… [UGH…]
Midterm elections 2026: Harry Enten’s final prediction
https://youtu.be/Wur9BVrXaDc
A ‘Harry Enten’ sounds like a side effect from Pfizer
Turnout. Turnout. Turnout.
i got to the -24% approval rate for our ‘dear leader’ and just couldn’t bear it. i’ll listen to this after election day.
Good Morning,
Long Live the MAGA Republic !
AMERICA FIRST !!!
👍👍
This is a Monday coffee, it will start your whole week ☕️ Hope you have a great day.
now i see an entremet with chocolate and mousse (with a tich of rum) and whipped cream. i’m down baby!
make it a magic monday!
Ohhhh, excellent Mama 😋
Love your words, Mama!
Beautiful, Dee! I got coffee – nothing quite that lovely looking!😁
Road to Liberty: Battles of the South
@WhiteHouse
https://youtube.com/watch?v=oAj3sfiX-J4
I have an ancestor that survived some of these battles.
Dang!
😂😂 good morning TC
Good morning Dee!
I have the feeling that this will be a week that years happen…
I’d fight a grizzly for you mama!
By fight I mean unload magazines of .308 from the next ridge over.
And they will.
Yes, they will! And they did that to Charlie!
They best make peace with their doG when they come for me and mine.
Sadly, true. They are scarily violent and unhinged.
Wokists are just plain evil.
Literally the only humane option.
Hmmm, that new terminology could be spinnable.
Catapults and Trebuchet just don’t have the range
Love that.
Woke communism in a nutshell
Forbes headline
Russia Claims 674 Ukrainian Aircraft Destroyed. Ukraine Had 212 Total.
Commentary unnecessary.
—-
Hope y’all have a good morning before what is hopefully a great MAGA voter turnout tomorrow.
Polling data is so deliberately confused I have zero idea of how things will turn out. Even the best analysis is GIGO when the data sucks.
To be fair, in WW2 the Soviets claimed to have destroyed 20 times more tiger tanks than Germany produced.
Red Primer For Children and Diplomats.
https://thepeoplescube.com/red-primer-for-children-and-diplomats-t2223.html
First published in 1967 in commemoration
of the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution
This is an Internet version of Victor Vashi’s original book, which is long out of print and the publisher no longer exists.
The message of this book is so vital and well delivered we felt it a shame not to share it with the world. Especially considering the recent attempts by Russia’s ruling elite to bring back the glory of the good old USSR.
Copies can still be found here and there, it’s a good piece of history to own