caucus99percent

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MAGA Schism amid Global Chaos

It's been a busy week for me personally, and for all of us domestically and globally. Much of Trump's base is unhappy with him for the Epstein denial and the pledge to send more arms to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Israel's Palestinian genocide continues unabated, plus this week Israel bombed Damascus. Erdogon pledges payback for the Damascus bombing. China plans to intervene. Every week looks more like WWIII. Let's skim through the highlights below the fold...

Afternoon folks!

It's a pretty good blues week, this week. Starting off we've got a compilation of a couple of 60's and early 70's albums (with bonus material) from Chicago blues slide guitar player J.B. Hutto, followed by an album from a guitarist from Detroit, Johnnie Bassett. After that there's an album of New Orleans blues and barrelhouse piano from Champion Jack Dupree very late in his career. Then it's on to a fine blues-rock album from Rory Gallagher and we finish up with an album from another insanely accomplished guitarist, Danny Gatton.

Enjoy the tunes and have a great weekend!

Good morning, good people! I hope you have weekend plans for fun and games and share it with us so we can get some ideas about travel and adventures.

Uh, not this one:

Happy Friday everyone. Welcome to Friday Night Photos your once a week escape from the day to day insanity of the world we live in. Post any photos, memes, music or whatever else you find of interest that helps tune out the madness.

Water. It covers about 71% of our planet. It plays a major role in our climate. Sometimes we get too much in some places and not enough in others. It's a liquid. It's a solid. It's a gas. It can be artistic and calming. It can be destructive and frightening. Without it life on Earth would not exist.
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/how-muc...
https://www.usbr.gov/mp/arwec/water-facts-ww-water-sup.html

Is it rod-ē-o or rod-ā-o? I don't know but I suspect it's not much different than pronouncing Democrat or Republican, because in the end they mean the same thing.

He rode into Washington Town on his white stallion, Las Mentiras. Half of the town swooned, the other half retched. He vowed he would clean up the mess left by the previous rodeo, and make Washington town and the whole of the land great again. This was his time and vengeance would be his.

But first he must win the rodeo.

He promised to do many things, for the "good" people, and to the "bad" people. His words were like an elixir to some, venom to others. He spoke plain-talk, like a twelve year old. He thundered his righteous glory from shore to shore, from hill to dale. He lambasted his opponents with expletives, and mispronunciations, and volleys of fake news and he disavowed a court bound in lawfare. He wowed the people with coins of memes, coins bearing his name, and the name of his woman. His grand plans made the people's heads swim, with visions of intelligence, artificial in nature, and, a promise of wealth for all, especially his own.

Finally the day arrived, the day of the Great Rodeo of the Fifty States. His event? Bull-riding.

He drew the biggest and meanest animal in the land, a bull named Mierda. The crowd cowered when they heard his name and held their noses. This bull was more than just a man killer, it was an assassin.

It was a wild and tumultuous ride, Mierda twisted and bucked, spit and snorted, trying to horn him as he jerked his head from side to side. But he held on and rode him clean for the allotted eight seconds. He jumped from the bull and raised his fists in pugilist fashion so as to taunt his opponents. The judges scored the biggest most beautiful score, a score so high it had never been seen before. To put icing on his win, he jumped on Mierda again and for a second time rode eight seconds clean. Half the people swooned and half retched. But it did not matter any longer.

He was the Rodeo Champion for four more years.

Interest Groups Are Stronger Than President Trump
Paul Craig Roberts • July 14, 2025

We are six months into Donald Trump’s presidency, really his first presidency as his previous four years he was staffed by the ruling establishment with his opponents.

Trips and Songs!

Been a hectic week so far. I had a LONG drive to the estate lawyer's yesterday, about 4 to 5 hours round trip, plus the meeting with the lawyer, so I've not got a lot for today's Open Thread. And I've been kinda emersed in driving. Here's some fun and scenic driving (not by me!)!

I love the green of Switzerland! I'm from the PacNW, of course I love the green . This is just a very calming, very nice, lovely to watch, video. If you need a bit of a calming time, or a rest, take a look! Or, just take a look anyway, it's worth it! And it doesn't matter if you just watch a bit and come back later, there's nothing to miss by doing that, the lovely scenery just goes on and on.