Sunday, April 19, 2026

🧐

And they didn’t even have to meet in Islamabad! It’s magic? 🪄
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has stated that no date has been set for the next round of peace negotiations between Iran and the United States, following last weekend’s talks in Islamabad which failed to achieve an agreement, despite claims by U.S. President Donald J. Trump that there would be more direct talks this weekend in Pakistan.

“We are now focusing on finalising ⁠the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to enter into any negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can be a pretext for another round of escalation,” Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum Saturday in Turkey.
Has anyone told Iran?
Iranian state news agency Tasnim has posted a lengthy statement to X describing what Iran sees as continued U.S. preparations to continue the war while publicly stating they are willing to negotiate. The statement goes on to say that Iran is prepared to "abandon restraints" shown in the first phase of the war to unleash "unforgettable hellish hours right from the outset of renewed conflict with America and Israel" while explicitly stating that the Bab al Mandeb Strait, Saudi Aramco facilities, the port of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, and the city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates will all enter the conflict.
Or Trump saw that already… Regarding the sagacity of the market, I lived through the ‘80’s being told the market was a great, green god whose wisdom was boundless and needed only to be allowed to operate unfettered, because governments were stupid and the people were sheeple whom the market could better care for. And now we have Polymarket for betting on the and market being stupid enough to continuously take Trump’s blather at face value. The people are not sheeple, but all flesh is grass. And a fool and his money are still soon parted. Trump’s announcement is making more sense all the time.
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How “Our BLOCKADE Has Already Closed It!” Is Working Out

So much...winning? Well, that explains that (sort of). But it doesn’t explain this:
WELKER: Why is the US rewarding Russia by extended these sanctions waivers? Russia is working with Iran

MIKE WALTZ: That's oil that was going to market. Now, instead of just going to China, it can go to some of our other allies and partners.

WELKER: It's a reversal of what the Treasury Secretary said on Wednesday
So, in reverse order: a) we’re listening to the bankers, not the people; b) our policy depends on which way the wind blows; c) cheap travel!

Oh, and Trump promising “obliteration,” again.

10 days (by my rough calculation) until Congress has to call it and approve this shit, or order a withdrawal.

57% STRONGLY disapprove of this war.  What will the GOP do…? (Three guesses, first two don’t count.)
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Here Come Da 👩‍⚖️

Good luck with that.
I don’t think the suit survives its first encounter with reality.  Like the WSJ libel suit Trump lost, this is likely to be thrown out before discovery can even get started.

And in libel cases, truth is an absolute defense. There’s also that.
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“Which Is Strange Because Our BLOCKADE Has Already Closed It!”

U.S. President Donald J. Trump states that his representatives will be leaving soon for Islamabad, Pakistan, to attend the second round of peace negotiations with Iran, expected to take place Monday evening, adding that, “We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don't, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They'll come down fast, they'll come down easy and, if they don't take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.”
TAPPER: What did you think when President Trump threatened to obliterate the entire Iranian civilization?

ELISE STEFANIK: He was focusing on the Iranian regime. It brought them to the table. We know he has very strong statements when he comes to his tweets

TAPPER: He said 'the entire civilization will die.' It's interesting that a 20 year old on a college campus yelling 'from the river to the sea' is worthy of condemnation, but a presiden--

STEFANIK: *starts talking over Tapper*
STEFANIK: President Trump didn't call for genocide, Jake. You are putting those words in his mouth

TAPPER: 'Your entire civilization will die'?

STEFANIK: It's the terrorist regime, Jake. He's targeting the terrorist regime

TAPPER: You're changing his words!
Not seeing the difference between bombing Iran “back to the Stone Age,” and doing “what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years,” and destroying the civilization; but I’ll have to leave that to the subtler insights of cable TeeVee talking heads.

Whatever happened to “open the fucking Strait you crazy bastards!”? No longer a viable strategy?
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has stated that no date has been set for the next round of peace negotiations between Iran and the United States, following last weekend’s talks in Islamabad which failed to achieve an agreement, despite claims by U.S. President Donald J. Trump that there would be more direct talks this weekend in Pakistan.

“We are now focusing on finalising ⁠the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to enter into any negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can be a pretext for another round of escalation,” Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum Saturday in Turkey.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance will lead a delegation, which will once again include Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, for another round of direct peace talks with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan on Monday, before the current two-week ceasefire is scheduled to end Tuesday, two U.S. officials tell Axios.
Or, you know, not.
According to ABC News, U.S. Vice President JD Vance will not be leading the diplomatic delegation to Islamabad, despite reports from Axios and several other outlets, with President Trump telling Jonathan Karl that the issue is security, the Secret Service couldn’t do it on 24 hours notice. “It’s only because of security. JD’s great.”
Or, you know, not not. Or, you know, not not not.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance will attend the next round of Iran talks in Pakistan along with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House has told CNN, after President Trump told ABC News that Vance would not be attempting the talks in Islamabad. In response to the conflicting messages over the U.S. delegation, a White House official said: “things changed.”
In a phone interview with morning with Fox News’ Trey Yingst, President Donald J. Trump stated regarding this week’s next round of peace talks with Iran in Islamabad, “If they don't sign this deal, the whole country is going to get blown up,” adding that bridges and power plants will be targeted throughout Iran.
I’m pretty sure the issue here is not “signing the deal,” but both parties keeping to its terms. Blockading the Strait to blockade their blockade is not exactly the terms of the last agreement.
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Something Tells Me This Is All They’ve Got

In case you were confused about what Charlie Kirk stood for. Or you were unclear about Trump’s negotiating “strategy.”

These are people with nothing to offer but ignorance breeding hatred and violence. Like an even stupider version of Nixon’s “madman” theory:
“Aides fielded calls from Republican senators and Christian leaders. They asked, why would he say “Praise be to Allah” on Easter morning? Why would he use the F-word? …

When one adviser later asked him about it, he said he came up with the Allah idea himself. He said he wanted to seem as unstable and insulting as possible, believing it could bring the Iranians to the table.”
He means like this:
Trump: “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
One could conclude that the Iranians quite reasonably wanted to negotiate an end to a war they didn’t start, where they have shown they have the world’s economy by the short hairs (and so the world’s hearts and minds will follow). But Donald Trump is a clueless boob. And here we are.

Maybe Congress could decide NOW is a good time to take Trump’s toys away and tell him to stop playing “war.”
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Has The World Said “Thank You”?

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) has announced that beginning in the evening on Saturday, it will be reimposing a total blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, in response to the United States’ refusal to lift its ongoing naval blockade on Iran which it views as a violation of the current ceasefire agreement that is set expired next Tuesday, April 21. The IRGC-N states that all vessels are directed to remain at anchorage in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and that any any vessels will be considered “hostile” and targeted if they approach the Strait of Hormuz.
That’ll show ‘em!
U.S. intelligence and military officials estimate that Iran still maintains about 40% of its pre-war arsenal of long-range attack drones, as well as 60% of its ballistic and cruise missile launchers, with over 100 systems that were buried inside caves and bunkers as a result of U.S. and Israeli strikes having been recovered since the start of the two-week ceasefire on April 8. In addition, some American estimates assess that Iran could reclaim as much as 70% of its pre-war stockpile of missiles, similarly buried in rubble from attacks on its bunkers and depots, officials tell The New York Times.
Or, you know, not. (What are the odds Trump learns about this from the New York Times?) Well, that’s reassuring.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has stated that no date has been set for the next round of peace negotiations between Iran and the United States, following last weekend’s talks in Islamabad which failed to achieve an agreement, despite claims by U.S. President Donald J. Trump that there would be more direct talks this weekend in Pakistan.

“We are now focusing on finalising ⁠the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to enter into any negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can be a pretext for another round of escalation,” Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum Saturday in Turkey.
Trump will respond by posting a picture of an escalator. Can we add them yet?
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Saturday, April 18, 2026

🤑

So Ka$h is, or is not, going to sue The Atlantic? Because a libel suit is predicated on the idea that the plaintiff DOES care about what was written about them. And this pretty much guarantees a rapid dismissal of any libel suit.

Did Ka$h hear from his lawyer, or did he decide he didn’t want to pay the legal fees? Or that he wasn’t libeled?

Yeah, I know: We also all know this: Yes, discovery will be very entertaining.

It’ll never come to that.
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“Out”

In related news:
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Matthew 25; Or Jeremiah 22: Or….

Actually, the measure of our success is how we treat the poorest and most vulnerable families and individuals. I respectfully disagree. Arguing against corruption is certainly good: But the U.S. isn’t nearly as impoverished as Hungary, and Trump has neither been in power for 16 years nor had the power Orban had. He hasn’t done nearly as much to America as Orban did to Hungary and yet, after only 16 months, Trump is one of the least popular presidents in history. So Democrats should talk about what they’re going to do for America, not what they’re going to do to Trump. The latter appeals to chattering heads on the internet, the same people who wonder why the Pope won’t at least respond to Trump.  On the other hand: Iran closes the Strait and Trump heads for the golf course. Talk about that, but not for long. Talk about how Congress will stop Trump’s foreign adventurism when Democrats are in power. And remember that all politics is STILL local.

And what excites Twitter doesn’t necessarily win elections.
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What The Pope Is Doing

"There's been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself," Leo said.

"Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said."
I wouldn’t say the Pope is defending his remarks. He’s removing the context Trump falsely created for them. 
Leo emphasized the remarks predated Trump's attacks. "My remarks were written two weeks ago, long before Trump's criticisms began," he explained, undercutting Trump's narrative that the Pope was specifically targeting him.

"And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all," Leo said, making clear he views the controversy as a distraction.

Looking forward, the Pope signaled his priorities lie elsewhere. "I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa."
Politicians and public figures are free to ignore the Pope. And for all the criticism of the media you find on the Intertoobs, this is the one you seldom see: the political press seeing everything in terms of racehorse politics. Pope Leo didn’t offer comments on what Trump said; he’s responding to the press here. The “certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects.” Because what the Pope has said that has gotten so much attention is what Xianity calls the prophetic. Not prophetic in the Nostradamus sense, but in the sense some call “speaking truth to power.” Like Jeremiah did:

Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.

14 He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.

15 “Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him.

16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 22:13-16

Pope Leo is prophesying like that. If you take it as political, well, maybe it is. If you take it as aimed at you; then, maybe it is. But consider it’s something else, entirely.
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Busy?

Playing golf all weekend and staying up all night writing tweet storms, while getting all your information as POTUS from cable TeeVee and social media, is not the same thing as being “busy.”

That seems more like manic behavior related to organic brain dysfunction.
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Well, That Is What Trump Said

It’s just not what happened.

Did Trump lie?

Is Trump that ill-informed?

Or that oblivious to reality?

At this point, what’s the difference? How is one condition worse than the other?
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“One Gigantic War Crime”

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Biden Can’t Do That!

Yes, I seriously doubt Biden can sign Trump’s name.

Biden also can’t completely fuck up the ceasefire he just claimed victory over.
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So Iran Does Have Cards

U.S. President Donald J. Trump said in a phone interview this morning with CBS News that Iran has “agreed to everything,” and will work with the United States to remove its buried stockpile of highly-enriched uranium, though he insisted that U.S. troops would not be deployed onto the ground in Iran.

“No. No troops,” Trump said. “We'll go down and get it with them, and then we'll take it. We'll be getting it together because by that time, we'll have an agreement and there's no need for fighting when there's an agreement. Nice right? That's better. We would have done it the other way if we had to.” The President then stated that the material would be brought back to the U.S. once it was recovered, “Our people, together with the Iranians, are going to work together to go get it. And then we'll take it to the United States.”
Yeah, that didn’t happen. The “agreed to everything” part, I mean. Especially the part most important to the world:
Iran's joint military command said on Saturday that "control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces." It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.
Trump is still trying to preach “unconditional surrender,” when no such thing has happened. And Congress still refuses to declare the entire affair a violation of the War Powers Act, and insist it is now over (which, it seems, might actually solve the problem). 

And this is not exactly breaking news. This is from 15 hours ago:
SNAFU.

FUBAR.
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About Kash Patel Suing The Atlantic For Slander

EXCLUSIVE @TheAtlantic On multiple occasions Patel’s security detail had difficulty waking him because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to info supplied to DOJ and White House officials. A request for “breaching equipment”was made because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors.
The FBI responded with a statement, attributed to Patel: “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court—bring your checkbook.”
Anybody recall the WSJ recently winning a slander suit  because the article included evidence they had contacted the subject for comment before going to press? That was a crucial element which defeated the “actual malice” claim of…Donald Trump.

The quote above is from The Atlantic article.  I’d also point out:
But Patel, according to multiple current officials, as well as former officials who have stayed close to him, is deeply concerned that his job is in jeopardy. He has good reasons to think so—including some having to do with what with described to me as bouts of excessive drinking. My colleague Ashley Parker and I reported earlier this month that Patel was among the officials expected to be fired after Attorney General Pam Bondi’s ouster, on April 2. “We’re all just waiting for the word” that Patel is officially out of the top job, an FBI official told me this week, and a former official told my colleague Jonathan Lemire that Patel was “rightly paranoid.” Senior members of the Trump administration are already discussing who might replace him, according to an administration official and two people close to the White House who were familiar with the conversations.
Patel’s FBI has made his drinking the only issue in that article, even though: Yes, the whole world saw Patel partying like a drunken frat boy. But it’s Patel who is calling attention to his drinking.  The article is about Patel’s standing in the Administration. It opens with an anecdote about Parel freaking out so badly about his job security that 
News of his emotional outburst ricocheted through the bureau, prompting chatter among officials and, in some corners of the building, expressions of relief. The White House fielded calls from the bureau and from members of Congress asking who was now in charge of the FBI.
Clearly a lot of people already think the knives are out for Patel. There’s no actual malice in reporting that.
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Wide Open

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Friday, April 17, 2026

Tedious Dribble

Many of whom left again. He won’t pass shit between now and November. Congress won’t stay in session long enough, and when they do, even Republicans are voting against him. They’re up for reelection; he’s not. 🤷‍♂️ You are absolutely the only person who thinks so. Which has to another sign of dementia. And if we wait to see prices fat, we’ll all die of old age. If you’re a white nationalist, I guess. Like you did for Venezuela? And Iran? And the global and national economy? God help us. You can quit anytime. None dare... ... call it... ... dementia. Now that Israel’s destroyed it, does he think he’s going to build a resort there, too? Transaction? And the Strait was open for business, until your blunt ignorance and war lust crashed the world economy. You get the blame for that, not the credit for getting Iran to relent. Which, apparently, it hasn’t:
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced a loosening of restrictions set on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz in response to the ceasefire in Lebanon, with the following rules now in effect:

1. Civilian vessels are permitted to transit solely through Iran's designated route.

2. Transit of military vessels through the strait remains prohibited.

3. All transits require permission from the IRGC Navy.

4. This transit is in accordance with the agreement for the period of silence on the battlefield and follows the implementation of the Lebanon ceasefire.
Trump insists this is not going on: Because, as usual, he’s right on top of the situation.
Trump: We had some pretty good news 20 minutes ago.

Reporter: What was the good news?

Trump: Having to do with Iran.

Reporter: Can you tell us anything about it?

Trump: No. I just think it's something that should happen. It's something that only makes sense to happen and I think it will. We'll see what happens, but I think it will.
What an empty vessel.
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Crying “WOLF!”

And how do they choose the polling place? And when? Election Day? During early voting? Which polling place? What effect would it likely have? Are we talking about every polling place in a state? In a city? Which city? A small one? More reasonable, but also more likely GOP voters. A large city? Even in Texas, the large cities are more Democratic than GOP. 

Now where? A presumptively Democratic precinct? Trying to affect what race? Senate? House? And do what? Maybe throw a House district into chaos. Yeah, that helps. Screw with a Senate race? How? Whatever it is, it just throws that race, no…those races…into court. In Texas, that might affect as many as 100 races, only two of them federal. I’m guessing eventually the courts decide the seizure was invalid, and allows the ballots to be counted. But how many are we talking about? Depends on the turnout and the day, in any state with early voting. You’ll need a pretext and a prepared group ready to go to a certain place. And then seize? How many votes?

Or do they seize ballots after the election? I’ve got a big picture of that.  I mean , DOJ may ask for them; but only the courts can overturn election results. And they aren’t going to do that lightly. They aren’t even likely to. Trump tried 60 times to get the courts to do it for him. He’s not gonna do it for Congress.

What was the point of this, again? And Trump is going to do this for the sake of who? 435 House races and 33 Senate seats (or is it 34 this year?). Across 50 states, with the most populous having thousands of polling locations. And Trump is going to fuck with even 50 of them? (1 per state, for argument’s sake. Or does he concentrate on California? And leave Paxton or Cornyn to face Talarico?) Where does he put this extraordinary effort, and what hope does he have of saving Congress for the GOP?

I know what he did on January 11, and I know what it did for his first reelection attempt. I also know he took ballots in Georgia because he’s going to relitigate 2020 forever. And somehow he thinks the ballots from that county will prove he really won. But does he care that much about 468 (or 469) Congressional races? And can he do anything about them?

What do you think?

ADDING:

 I mean, it’s going like this:
The Trump DOJ’s latest blunder came one day after it asked a federal court for permission to fix what judges across the country have already called a fatal defect in its voter roll demands: failing to explain why it needed the data in the first place," said the report. "But instead of waiting, DOJ rushed to file a new 'additional basis' for its demand — and fumbled the rollout."
2020 all over again. And when they get the voter rolls, they still have to use them in court.
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Wait A Minute….

How many convicted criminals has Trump pardoned? I want to say the number’s in the thousands.

Every accusation is a confession.
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The Man Who Is…. 🐋 🦝

...forever connected in the public mind with a whale carcass and a raccoon penis.
LEE: Your agency told programs to remove 200 words from their funding applications including the word "Black." Do you have an idea how we can solve the black maternal health crisis if we cannot say "Black"?

RFK JR: DEI divided and polarized people.

LEE: We’re talking about healthcare.

RFK JR: We’re talking about DEI. Do you think the federal government should be paying for DEI?

LEE: I think the federal government has a vested interest in ensuring citizens survive childbirth.  

RFK JR: We are meeting that obligation.

LEE: We are not
Sickle Cell anemia. ‘S all I’m sayin’… 🤦‍♂️ How convenient. The same people who can’t claim social security (but pay it), can get Obamacare? 🐂 💩
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Grandpa Didn’t Get Any Sleep Last Night

Trump: "The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear 'Dust,' created by our great B2 Bombers - No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form. This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah situation in an appropriate manner. Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!! Thank you! President DJT"
Isn’t it anti-Semitic if Trump tells Israel what it can’t do?
He got the Strait closed, disrupted the entire global economy, exploded gas prices, wrecked our alliances, killed thousands of innocent people including young girls at a school, depleted American missile stockpiles, degraded our Middle East military bases, and destroyed America’s global standing only to get the Strait reopened on Iran’s terms and potentially give them $20 billion. The art of the deal!
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Don’t Make Us Laugh 😂

Bannon went on to say the anti-Sharia position won on the ballot in Texas. He failed to clarify that was on the GOP primary ballot, not a general ballot. It was just a sort of “poll,” meaning nothing. And besides, more Democrats voted in the primary than Republicans.

And Democrats didn’t have that nonsense on their ballot.

Dan Patrick is already freaking out that Democrats might regain control of the Legislature this year. Despite what Bannon thinks, the fear of Sharia law is a laughing matter in Texas.
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So Much Winning! 🤷‍♂️

An agreement we had with Iran in 2015, until Trump refused to abide by it in 2018. Iran officially declared they were no longer following it in April, 2025, when it expired by its own terms.

Trump is also agreeing to release sanctioned funds to Iran, something he still excoriates Obama for doing in 2018.

But Obama didn’t bomb a girls school, deplete our missile stocks by at least half, put our allies in the region housing our military bases in harm’s way, and cost us several billion dollars in military expenses. Not to mention the ongoing damage to the world economy, and our international standing.


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They Understand How This Works, Right? 🤷‍♂️

As I watched it I couldn’t help but think of another movie: Anchorman, with Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, the man who would read anything put on the teleprompter. Sort of like this: (Which is...? Reopen the Strait that Trump closed by attacking Iran, and lower the price of gas Trump raised by…attacking Iran?) Jordan understands how politics in America works, right?
Trump: "It’s easy! Tucker is a Low IQ person - Always easy to beat, and highly overrated!!! So are Megyn Kelly, 'Candace'(Really Dumb and mentally ill!), and Bankrupt Alex Jones, who is completely 'fried.' There are others, also! Then we have some that are VERY GOOD, true MAGA all the way, and smart. I should do a list of good, bad, and somewhere in the middle. Wouldn’t that be fascinating??? President DJT"
Trump understands none of those people are running for elective office, right? Well, yeah, of course. (And the Pope is anti-Xian. 🤦‍♂️ Sen. Sanders is Jewish.)
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Thursday, April 16, 2026

🐂💩

 Now they done pissed me off:

 "Secretary Hegseth on Wednesday shared a custom prayer, referenced as the CSAR prayer, used by the brave warfighters of Sandy-1 who led the daylight rescue mission of Dude 44 Alpha out of Iran, which was obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction," Parnell wrote.

"However, both the CSAR prayer and the dialogue in Pulp Fiction were reflections of the verse Ezekiel 25:17, as Secretary Hegseth clearly said in his remarks at the prayer service," he added. "Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality."
Ezekiel 25:
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile, 4 therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East as a possession. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel, 7 therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

A Prophecy Against Moab

8 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” 9 therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim—the glory of that land. 10 I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered among the nations; 11 and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

A Prophecy Against Edom

12 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, 13 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill both man and beast. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. 14 I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

A Prophecy Against Philistia

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will wipe out the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. 17 I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I take vengeance on them.’”
(NIV. Not my first choice of translations, but easy to copy online.)

And here’s the “prayer” again:
“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherds the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children,” Hegseth said, according to the report.
Nothing in Ezekiel 25 about shepherds or valleys or children or being a brother’s keeper. That last is ironic; it echoes the cry of Cain trying to dodge responsibility for killing his brother, Abel (“Am I my brother’s keeper?”). The shepherd image shows up in the gospels, but the most familiar reference is the 23rd Psalm. Which Ezekiel doesn’t reference, any more than he references Cain. “Valley of darkness” sounds like the 23rd, too. It sounds nothing like Ezekiel 25.

God is pronouncing judgement on the nations that danced on Israel’s grave after the fall of Jerusalem and the Exile into Babylon. As Walker Percy once asked: where are the Moabites now? Or the Philistines, the Edomites, the Ammonites? This is God bracing up Israel for what it has been through. Is it kindly? No. Is it of a piece with Samuel L. Jackson’s character’s use of it in “Pulp Fiction”? Also: no.

I’m not here to exegete this chapter and place it in the context of the book of Ezekiel, or the history of the Exile. I highlighted the last “prophecy” because v. 17 is clearly a summing up of the chapter. And nothing in that chapter is a prayer.

I’m just here to say Hegseth and his PR toady are full of shit. They quoted a “prayer” (I’d never call it that) from a movie that Tarantino took from a Japanese movie. Yeah, deeply grounded in the words of Ezekiel. Tarantino added the verse to make his version sound Biblical. Because he knew it wasn’t.

“Reflects” Ezekiel 25:17?  🐂 💩 
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Always Fight About The Thing They Didn’t Say

Obama stopped Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Trump tore that agreement up. 

He then “obliterated” (his word) Iran’s ability to make a nuclear weapon. Then, about two weeks after attacking Iran, he started talking about doing it to prevent Iran making a nuclear weapon. It been an off a on claim ever since. He’s never presented any evidence Iran can’t make a nuclear weapon now, and in fact has included that agreement by Iran as a requirement of any ceasefire agreement. (He’s not negotiating a surrender, just a ceasefire.)

The Pope has never mentioned nuclear weapons in his recent comments about war. He has, however, spoken on the subject before:
In a March 5 video message, Leo said: "Today we lift up our prayer for peace in the world, asking that nations renounce weapons and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy. … Lord, enlighten the leaders of the nations, so they may have the courage to abandon projects of death, halt the arms race, and place the lives of the most vulnerable at the center. May the nuclear threat never again dictate the future of humanity."

On March 8, Leo's X account posted about the Iran war's expansion, encouraging people to pray "for the roar of bombs to cease, weapons to fall silent, and space to open for dialogue, in which people's voices may be heard."

In June 2025, the pope called for a world free from nuclear threat and appealed for peace between Iran and Israel.

"The commitment to creating a safer world, free from the nuclear threat, should be pursued through respectful encounter and sincere dialogue, to build a lasting peace, based on justice, fraternity and the common good," Leo said. "No-one should ever threaten the existence of another."

Also in June 2025, during a general audience in St. Peter's Square, Leo said, "We must never get used to war! Indeed, the temptation to have recourse to powerful and sophisticated weapons needs to be rejected."
As the Pope said on Monday:
"I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among states to find just solutions to problems," he said. "Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way."
Trump has been talking about nuclear weapons ever since, as if it’s a magic charm against the Pontiff’s statements. Pope Leo also said:
"I have no fear of neither the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message in the Gospel...."
So Trump has to try, try again to make the conversation about the scariest thing he can think of. Because the message of the gospel, as pronounced by the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, seems to be something Trump can’t grapple with.

Then again, Trump doesn’t understand the whole concept of “government.”
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Leaderlyship

Well, Yup:
“I was standing in front of my parked car on I-684 cutting the penis out of a road killed raccoon, thinking about how weird some of my family members have turned out to be,” the bizarre journal entry reads, according to the Post.

In the passage, Kennedy was mourning his tumultuous relationships with his brother, Douglas Kennedy, and cousin, Bobby Shriver.

“My kids waited patiently in the car,” Kennedy wrote.

He later told People magazine that he took the raccoon’s genitals so he could “study them later,” according to the new book.
It all starts at the top.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has stated that following today’s announced ceasefire, he will be inviting the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, to the White House for the “first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983.”
Israeli government ministers were “outraged” by today’s announced ceasefire with Lebanon, which was revealed on TruthSocial by U.S. President Donald J. Trump who gave Israel’s consent to the ceasefire before it could be approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet, according to i24NEWS.
Trump counts it as the 10th war he’s settled.
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Their Own Petar

 Trump’s ballroom is halted again. And again, Trump’s lawyers did it to themselves:

For the reasons that follow, I will further clarify and amend my Order to stop only above-ground construction of the planned ballroom. My Amended Order does not, however, stop below-ground construction of national security facilities, work necessary to provide for presidential security, and construction necessary to protect and secure the White House and the construction site itself.

First, limiting the scope of the injunction to above-ground construction directly addresses the National Trust's irreparable harm, which stems from the above-ground, visible construction of the ballroom. See Mem. Op. at 29-32; see also PI. 's Mem. in Supp. of Prelim. Inj. [Dkt. #51-1] at 24-25 ("[T]he National Trust has never requested ... that the Court enjoin construction of a bunker. The National Trust is simply requesting that the Court enjoin construction of the Ballroom."). My Order barring above-ground construction provides "complete relief' to the National Trust, while minimizing the "burden[]" to Defendants through the safety-and-security exception. See Trump v. CASA, Inc., 606 U.S. 831,852 (2025) (quoting Califano v. Yamasaki, 442 U.S. 682, 702 (1979)).

Second, the injunction excludes only below-ground construction because, throughout this case, Defendants raised discrete national security concerns about construction of underground elements. Early on, Defendants argued that "security concerns . . . warrant[ ed] permitting the current below-grade construction to continue." Defs.' TRO Opp'n [Dkt. #15-1] at 27; see also TRO Hr'g Tr. [Dkt. #18] at 20:22-24 ("[T]he below-ground work that's occurring now has nothing to do with Plaintiff's asserted aesthetic injury, and that work must continue for national security reasons."). Specifically, Defendants indicated that national security-related facilities are being constructed below ground. See, e.g., Defs.' Suppl. Br. [Dkt. #30] at 41 (referencing a "security bunker" and stating that "an injunction halting construction would endanger national security"). The exception for underground national security facilities does not include the proposed ballroom because Defendants themselves distinguished between below-ground and above-ground construction, stating that "the below-surface work is driven by national security concerns independent of the above-grade construction." Defs.' Suppl. Br. at 39 4 Case 1:25-cv-04316-RJL Document 72 Filed 04/16/26 Page 5 of 10 (emphasis added); see also Deel. of Professional Engineer [Dkt. #30-4] at i15 (referencing the "national security concerns with aspects of the below grade structure"). Defendants also repeatedly represented that the project's below-ground elements do not "lock in" the design of the above-ground ballroom. Defs.' Suppl. Br. at 4; see also Defs.' Mot. to Modify Schedule [Dkt. #22] i1 4; Defs.' Mot. to Stay [Dkt. #39] at 2; cf Deel. of John Stanwich ("Stanwich Deel.") [Dkt. #14-6] i1 21 (noting the below-ground elements could be "constructed as planned while the above grade design is finalized").
Kind of hard to argue the ballroom is an integral part of the security construction below ground when you say the two are completely separate projects. One of the arguments for the ballroom being a part of the secure structure below? It will have bulletproof glass.

Seriously. That’s part of the argument made to the court. Which is probably true, but whether the ballroom can be built, or not, is up to Congress.

Now let’s talk about authorizing that stupid arch….
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