Brian

🇺🇸 Two men brutally and unprovoked attacked a 77-year-old man walking in downtown Seattle, leaving him hospitalized with serious injuries. As the victim walked, one suspect punched him in the face while the second shoved him to the ground from behind. Surveillance footage shows the pair continuing to punch and mock the elderly man as he lay bleeding on the pavement, before casually walking away. The victim spent over a week in the hospital with a broken knee, a broken arm, and a deep laceration on his forehead requiring stitches. 29-year-old Ahmed Abdullahi Osman was arrested shortly after and charged with second-degree assault. The second suspect remains at large. Meanwhile, immigrant advocacy groups and left-wing activists in Seattle are intensifying pressure on Mayor Katie Wilson to shut down the city’s police surveillance camera network and halt all planned expansions. They argue that footage from the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) could be accessed by federal authorities, including ICE, for immigration enforcement. The mayor has stated she will deactivate the entire camera network if federal immigration enforcement increases in the city. She recently paused further expansion of the system.

@LeaderJohnThune That's neat, but how does visiting BAE Systems help pass the SAVE Act?

Had a chance to tour BAE Systems in Aberdeen to hear about the important work they are doing to help keep our nation safe and secure.

As someone who's been writing military science-fiction for years, and have many friends in or formerly in the military (some of which are authors themselves,) I have something to say about this: If all Yoshiyuki Tomino has to say with his art is that "war is bad," then he should stop making art, as he's only going to waste our time. Any fool with two brain cells to rub together knows that war is ugly, brutal and costly. That doesn't mean war is pointless and should never be fought no matter the circumstances. In fact, such a statement is worse than pointless, as lethal conflict is a common constant of human civilization - and, for that matter, a constant among the vast majority of life existing on Earth, even between bacteria. If all your story does is shout "this is bad!" it's a childish lament that leaves a tremendous amount of this constant of human existence unexamined. Who fights wars - the elites, like the ancient Greek Hoplites, or the knights of the middle ages, or the common men who volunteer, like in many modern nations? What do they fight for - for the ideals of their beloved nation, for honor and glory, or to save the women and children in the city that stands at their backs? What defines a good soldier? What defines a good leader? These questions are just as essential for us as they were for our forefathers, because the world is a tumultuous place full of evil people and great dangers and the time is coming, sooner than many may think, where wars between great powers will shake the foundations of the world and the lives of millions will hang in the balance. To explore questions like this, of such import to our souls, is one of the core reasons people tell stories to begin with. And our tools and machines have always been essential to the conduct of war and the defense of all we hold dear. Men have told stories of talking swords or "tsukumogami" for as long as swords have existed; long before we could even conceptualize a thinking machine might be made with science; we dreamt of them existing through magic or spirit. Tools are what first brought us out of the trees to stride the earth as its masters; in the tools we shape and wield with our own hands we make manifest our intent, our will, our spirit. In the modern age, the vastness of our creations sometimes makes it easy to forget, but the human element is still the entire point. I quote from page 71 of "Shattered Sword" by Johnathan Parshall and Anthony Tully: "The study of naval warfare (more than any other form of combat) holds the potential to completely subordinate the human element to the weapons themselves. Naval combat is conducted almost exclusively by means of machines – machines that are in many cases so huge and grand that they often seem to take on a life and personality of their own that transcend the tiny figures that inhabit them. Yet, in the final analysis, it is men who live in the ship, command and fight the ship, and often die in the ship. Their story, no matter how seemingly eclipsed by the great vessels they serve in, is still the fundamental story to be related.” Its only natural we should be entranced with the great machines of war that we build, as they're the final product of the genius and labors of an entire society; fashioned into an incredible tool that is nothing if not wielded by the hand of a skilled warrior devoted to his craft and his mission. I know of not a single mecha story that runs afoul of Parshall and Tully's warning as quoted above; everyone seems to understand the assignment. The ones that don't are the likes of Tomino, or his fellow anti-war traveler Miyazaki. I can't understand a man who thinks fighter planes are beautiful but has little more to say about war than "it's bad;" he refuses to see that the beautiful form of a fighter plane follows its function, and that there's a savage, primal beauty in that function, like the fury that animates a thunderstorm. Or the fury and purpose that animate its pilot, for that matter. Tomino seems to think that "nothing of substance is getting across." I disagree. I think the substance came across very well, and many in younger generations just think that substance is woefully lacking. There's a cutscene in the Knights of the Old Republic, between Carth Onasi and Canderous, where Carth expounds on the difference between "soldiers" and "warriors," defining warriors as those who fight for plunder and the glory of conquest, and soldiers as those who fight to protect their nation and peoples - usually from warriors. He made a great point, but Canderous wasn't entirely wrong. As any fighter pilot can tell you, you need more than noble motivations to sacrifice and serve to be truly excellent - to overcome your enemy in an aerial duel, you need that urge to "lean in" to the fight; that competitive drive - a part of you needs to love the fight. Many soldiers over the ages have spoken of this; as Robert E. Lee said "it's well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it." It's that primal urge drawn straight from our deepest instincts; that thirst to compete and win, that gives soldiers the fire and fury to do their utmost in combat, to win the challenge, to defeat those who would plunder their temples, raze their cities and enslave their women and children. That is the truth of war, every bit as much as the death and boredom and bloodshed and terror. And if you can only tell one half of that truth, because the other half doesn't align with your political or personal views, then I don't give a god damn what you have to say about it, or about the works of storytellers who do.

This is just perfect…. Henrilynn Ibezim A Nigerian born man who was running as a Democrat mayoral candidate was caught with a trash bag full of 1,000 voter registration applications he filled out himself. I was told this never happens?!

BREAKING: Former NJ mayoral candidate Henrilynn Ibezim (D) pleaded guilty to forging nearly 1,000 voter registration applications The thing that never happens happened again!

Tomorrow’s Senate agenda should look like this. Step 1. REMOVE JOHN THUNE Step 2. NUKE THE FILIBUSTER Step 3. PASS THE SAVE AMERICA ACT Start early and be done by lunch.

@RepJohnRose Stop complaining about Thune and REMOVE him. You're not going to fix this problem by posting on Twitter, and we're not going to the polls without the SAVE Act.

Leader Thune has yet to explain why he's blocking the SAVE America Act and why he is refusing to allow President Trump to make recess appointments.

@SenatorBanks Quit complaining about the Democrats on Twitter and pass the SAVE Act. Actions speak louder than words, and we're seeing a complete lack of action from you.

ICYMI: Last night, Senate Democrats voted to automatically extend work authorizations for illegal aliens. They wanted to take jobs from hardworking Americans and give them to illegal aliens. This is unacceptable and we blocked them. The American people must always come first.

587 days. That's how long the Canadian healthcare system took to call me back about the spinal surgery I needed immediately or risk losing the use of my legs. In 2024, I broke my back in Singapore. The neurosurgeon there said surgery was urgent. After 3 weeks fighting my insurance from a hospital bed, I flew home with medical support. The Canadian hospital quoted an 8-month wait. I'm lucky I could afford to go private. The next day, I had the operation. Today, 587 DAYS LATER, the public hospital called to say they're ready for me. People say Canadian healthcare is free and great. It's neither. It's horrible!

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷 The U.S. is thinking about using Japanese and South Korean shipyards and designs to quickly expand the size of the U.S. Navy. A feasibility study worth $1.85 billion on outsourcing elements of warship design and construction to South Korea and Japan has been included in the FY2027 budget. This initiative would examine adopting or co-producing advanced hulls such as Japan’s stealthy 5,500-ton Mogami-class frigates and South Korea’s 3,600-ton Daegu-class vessels to supplement the U.S. Navy. Due to Chinese competition, the U.S. needs to vastly expand its navy but faces severe constraints in its domestic shipyard capacity, which has been plagued by labor shortages, aging infrastructure, cost overruns and maintenance backlogs for decades. The Navy’s shipbuilding plans consistently fall short, with the fleet hovering below 300 ships against goals of 355 or more. China’s shipbuilding capacity now dwarfs America’s. China possesses roughly 232 times the shipbuilding tonnage capacity of the U.S. with one Chinese shipyard alone rivaling the combined output of all U.S. naval yards. In recent years, China has delivered massive annual tonnage through its dual-use commercial-military shipyards, enabling its navy (PLAN) and coast guard (CCG) to surge ahead in hull numbers—now exceeding 370 warships for the PLAN alone, with projections toward 460 by 2030. In contrast, U.S. output remains minimal, often under 0.1% of global commercial tonnage amid delays on programs like Virginia-class submarines and Constellation-class frigates. Japan and South Korea stand ready to help bridge this gap significantly. As the world’s second- and third-largest shipbuilders (South Korea on 28% and Japan at 15% of global output), they excel in efficient, high-quality naval construction. Their yards deliver warships faster and at lower cost than U.S. facilities, with strong track records in modular building and technology transfer. Partnering with Tokyo and Seoul would accelerate U.S. fleet expansion but would require legal changes, as the U.S. Navy is legally required to build its vessels in American shipyards, with only minor exceptions.

@TheUnaButters Look, you've posted a lot of silly things like "facts" and "logic", but have you considered that I can't have my steampunk fantasy without airships? Checkmate. 😉

First of all the Wright Brothers discovered heavier than Air Flight not the concept of man powered Flight over all. Second airships lost to planes for way more reasons than crashes such as the Hidenburg, R101, and USS Akron

@OrevaZSN I think it's reasonable to be skeptical of an ideology that promises utopia but consistently delivers gulags and famines instead. There's a reason Jesus specifically warns about false prophets.

Religious people will describe heaven as a classless, stateless, moneyless society with no private property, no suffering, and everyone’s needs met, then turn around and call communism evil. It will never stop being funny.

Trumps biggest geopolitical blunder is Ukraine, by far. It’s genuinely baffling. Being friendly with Russia, and harsh on Ukraine, makes no sense strategically, financially and—most importantly—morally. It’s genuinely insane. The Vice President Vance literally said that he is PROUD of not supporting Ukraine. What a disgrace. Russia is not an ally to America. They stand opposed to the Western world in almost every way. If they could push a button and make America self destruct, they would. In Ukraine, you have a brave people who LOVED America. A people who would be powerful allies to the US on multiple levels. Throwing them under the bus at their time of need is a grave mistake. Ukraine will rise from this war against their aggressor as a formidable power. They will get there despite Americas lack of support. I fully support Trump in his actions against the Islamic regime, and his support for Israel. I will continue supporting and cheering him on in that regard, with alacrity. But his stance against Ukraine really is an embarrassment. A huge mistake. History will not look kindly on that aspect of his actions.

@VAUDEVIL666 @DocStrangelove2 Oh hey, it's the "666 in the username" edgelord again! 😆

@DocStrangelove2 Hell, the way things are going it's going to be pretty funny when the military ends up using that excuse on your children.

Yeah, that’s because the Taliban, ISIS, etc loved to use kids for S-vests or give them grenades and makeshift explosives to throw at soldiers.

BREAKING: Islamists in Nigeria who kidnapped 416 women and children three days ago, say that ultimatum has expedited and they will begin executing the hostages. There has not been a word about this in the media for the last three days. Now they’re starting executions.

@Judithica @SlowToWrite It's not complicated. I care more about the millions of butchered children you dismiss as "clusters of cells" than I care about any of your objections. Pick a cause that doesn't result in abortionists keeping dismembered infants as souvenirs next time.

@BewareOfWombat @SlowToWrite So you didn't look it up or refuse to address it. Cute. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get a tubal ligation? Of course not! 🤣 You'd have to have SOME compassion for the difficulties of women, and your argument comple ignores tue humanity of women. Typical.

The Republicans aren’t perfect. But you won’t hear a Democrat tell the truth about abortion. People like Brandon Gill is why Christians vote for Republicans.

@politicalmath I'd appreciate it if we could get some anti-Russian consistency from both sides of the aisle. Giving Putin a red-carpet welcome in Alaska was disgusting.

It is unbelievably hilarious that Democrats went from "Russia is our super buddy, Romney is an ass, everyone should love Russia" to "Russia controls the Republican Party and must be destroyed" in just a few short years

@Judithica @SlowToWrite Less than 1% of abortions are for medical reasons, which you would have known if you "looked it up" instead of relying on bumper-sticker slogans. Fewer children being thrown away as medical waste is a win for humanity. Cut your tubes if an unplanned pregnancy scares you so much.

@BewareOfWombat @SlowToWrite Murder is a legal term, and you're miss using it. Success? I'm being human? What's the highest cause of death for pregnant women. Look it up. What's the financial, emotional and physical cost of pregnancy? You couldn't care less, but here's a hint, more than you could tolerate.

@Judithica @SlowToWrite I'm fully aware of the delusions you subscribe to in order to justify mass-murder. I'm also aware of your complete lack of success in getting others to subscribe to the same delusions.

@BewareOfWombat @SlowToWrite My side? The one that thinks women are human? Weird flex, but do you. I don't count a clump of cells as a fully developed human, and actually care about born kids in need right now while your "side" votes against school lunch, and treats pregnancy as a punishment for sex.

@Judithica @SlowToWrite Slavery was older than written language, too. It's not "oppression" to forbid you from crushing a child's skull and stuffing their dismembered remains in a medical waste container. Your side killed more people than every war combined. Spare me your fake moralizing.

@BewareOfWombat @SlowToWrite You stupid or something? Abortion has been with us for at least as long as the written word. Making oppression legal does not mean it will be successful. New here? More women will simply die due to back alley procedures as they did in your grandmother's time. Read a book. Please.