Elliot 🇺🇸✡️

"In the worst of times music is a promise that times are meant to be better. Ultimately, its most important political purpose is to keep us human under fire." --Robert Christgau

@Osint613 Prayers for the victims and first responders. No place of worship deserves violence.

Remembering the great Elvin Jones, who passed away on this day in 2004.

Jackie McLean was born in Harlem on this day May 17, 1931. The alto saxophonist began recording for Blue Note in 1959 with an innovative hard bop style that evolved as the '60s progressed taking on a more adventurous spirit. Stream our spotlight playlist: bluenote.lnk.to/JackieMcLeanFi…

#nowplaying OTD 1960, Harold Land, Wes Montgomery, Joe Gordon, Barry Harris, Sam Jones & Louis Hayes were in San Francisco recording the second of two sessions for the excellent 'West Coast Blues!' Great stuff.

@RonFilipkowski Here’s the German actress who played Helen in a 2004 movie. Does she look Mediterranean to you? Nope, me neither! But of course conservatives didn’t have a shitfit back then.

@RonFilipkowski Hollywood had white actors playing Egyptians, Asians, Native Americans, and basically everyone else for decades, but suddenly THIS is where historical accuracy becomes sacred. The obsession some grown adults have with fictional casting choices genuinely needs to be studied.

El hombre que ven en la imagen se llama Josè "Joe" Ceballos. Nació en México, llegó a Kansas a los 4 años y es un convencido votante trumpista. Vive en Coldwater, un pueblito de setecientos habitantes, entre graneros, pacas de heno, camionetas y banderitas americanas en las verjas. Republicano hasta la médula, el pueblo y él también. Y él nunca se ha movido de Coldwater. Ha hecho la primaria allí, la secundaria allí, el bachillerato allí. Ha trabajado para la compañía eléctrica del pueblo durante toda su vida. Se casó allí, crió a sus hijos allí, cría ganado allí. Lo conocen todos: es "Joe". Al que hablas cuando se rompe el sistema de alcantarillado. Aquel que en diciembre monta las luces de Navidad en la plaza. Aquel que el día de los Veteranos y del Memorial Day levanta las banderas. Y también por eso lo eligieron alcalde dos veces. La última vez, en noviembre de 2025. Porque en Coldwater Joe es uno de ellos. De hecho: Joe es uno de ellos. Joe en las elecciones de 2024 votó por Trump. Convencido al 100. Y lo mismo había hecho en 2016 y en 2020. Pero hay un pequeño detalle: Joe no podía votar. Porque después de 51 años en Kansas, después de haber sido alcalde de una ciudad estadounidense, técnicamente seguía siendo mexicano. De hecho, tenía la tarjeta verde, no la ciudadanía. Se había registrado a los 18 años durante una excursión escolar al tribunal del condado. El empleado había preguntado "¿alguien quiere inscribirse?" y Joe había levantado la mano junto con sus compañeros. Joe declaró en el tribunal que no sabía que para votar en América era necesario ser ciudadanos estadounidenses: "Pensaba que 'residente permanente' significaba que estaba en regla". Durante casi cuarenta años, en las urnas de Coldwater, Joe fue a votar con la más absoluta convicción de ser como todos los demás. Y en cambio no. El día después de su reelección, el fiscal general de Kansas, Kris Kobach, republicano, trumpista, halcón de la inmigración, lo acusa de fraude electoral. Joe acepta un acuerdo: libertad vigilada, dos mil dólares de multa. Y cuando sale del tribunal declara a los periódicos: "Quizás ahora también pueda pedir la ciudadanía". Era el 13 de abril. Miércoles 13 de mayo, exactamente un mes después, el ICE, la policía migratoria que tanto le gustaba a Joe, le envía una bonita cartita: "Señor Ceballos, preséntese en Wichita". Joe va. En coche, dos horas de pradera, a través de los campos de trigo del profundo Kansas. Se presenta, entrega el móvil y acaba en la celda. Ahora corre el riesgo de ser deportado a México, donde la última vez que estuvo llevaba todavía el chupete. La portavoz del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, Lauren Bis, comentó: "Nuestras elecciones pertenecen a los ciudadanos estadounidenses, no a los extranjeros". Y mientras Joe era trasladado a la cárcel del ICE, frente a las oficinas federales se reunieron decenas de sus conciudadanos. Todos allí pidiendo la liberación de Joe. Todos allí, en su gran mayoría, votantes de Trump. Aquellos que habían votado a favor de "expulsar a los inmigrantes ilegales". Y ahora descubren lo que nosotros repetimos desde hace una vida: que la máquina del odio no mira cuánto tiempo llevas allí, no mira a quién has votado, no mira si eres el alcalde o el jardinero. Muele. Y cuando se acaba la carne de los demás, empieza con la tuya. Joe ha votado a Trump tres veces. Joe corre el riesgo de ser deportado por Trump. Y mientras lo cargan en la furgoneta, en algún lugar de Kansas, hay un seguidor suyo con la gorra MAGA en la cabeza que se rasca la nuca y se pregunta, quizás por primera vez en la vida, si acaso no lo habían tomado un poco demasiado en serio, esos. Bienvenidos a la realidad...

BREAKING: Trump whines to Hannity he can’t brag about profiting off the Iran war because of “the little man with the $4 gasoline”! In a rare moment of self-awareness, Donald Trump admitted to Sean Hannity that he’s holding back from openly celebrating huge profits from the Iran War, because Americans are getting crushed by $4-a-gallon-and-rising gas. Trump complained: “I don’t want to say we’re making a fortune … because if I say it, they’re going to say, ‘He forgets about the little man with the $4 gasoline.’” And who exactly is "we" making a fortune? We'll venture a guess and say it's Trump's billionaire buddies in the defense and oil industries who are cleaning up on government contracts, and will be happy to throw a sliver in campaign contributions and contracts to firms where his family members are "special advisors." But he’s bummed he can’t openly brag about it because working the country full of suckers and losers are suffering at the pump as a direct result of his foreign policy disasters. The condescension of referring to struggling, hard working Americans as “the little man” is just breathtaking. Trump is so out of touch that he’s complaining about not being able to gloat publicly about war profits, which is what he so wants to do but is being told by his handlers to keep his fat yap shut. The “little man” he mocks is exactly who’s getting hurt by his tariffs, wars, and failures of leadership. Instead of trying to lower costs for working families, Trump is upset that their pain is stopping him from doing his victory dance on television. The man is literally worried about not getting a “win” out of the stupid war while families are choosing between filling up their tank and filling up their fridge. To him, it's annoying PR problem, not a real crisis hurting millions of his constituents. The “little man with the $4 gasoline” – that’s you and us, folks – deserves a president who actually cares about their struggles, not a total douchebag who sees them as an inconvenience to his bragging rights. If you’re disgusted by Trump’s total detachment from the lives of working Americans, like and share this post. x.com/markbland/stat…

We have witnessed the fall of the United States as a global hegemon — a former hegemon. This is not a temporary weakening, but a systemic and possibly irreversible decline. The main reason for this process is Donald Trump, the weakest president in American history. Trump is not merely a bad president. He is a president who is consciously and consistently dismantling everything that made America a hegemon for eight decades. Instead of strategic vision and cold calculation, we see chaotic emotional decisions, the trading of national interests like at a bazaar, and a constant readiness to betray allies for short-term political gain or personal ego. Under his leadership, the United States has ceased to be a reliable guarantor of the world order. Former allies no longer trust American commitments. NATO is on the brink of collapse because its leading country openly disregards its obligations. Ukraine, which is fighting the largest war in Europe since World War II, has effectively been betrayed. Taiwan understands that in the event of Chinese aggression, it may simply be abandoned. Europe no longer sees Washington as a leader, but as an unpredictable partner best kept at a distance. Trump is not building a new, stronger America. He is destroying the old one — the one built on military superiority, the financial dominance of the dollar, technological advantage, and a system of alliances. He is weakening all of these simultaneously. Military aid to Ukraine has been slashed, pressure on Europe regarding defense spending has turned into outright blackmail, and relations with China are not strategic containment but chaotic bargaining. Even traditional Republican elites, who once considered a strong America their core ideology, are now forced to adapt to a cult of personality and isolationist sentiments. Trump’s weakness is not just a lack of character. It is profound strategic blindness. He fails to understand that hegemony is not only power, but also responsibility and reputation — a reputation he has destroyed in record time. The world has seen that American commitments can be canceled with a single tweet or phone call. This lesson has already been learned in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang. We are now observing a chain reaction. Authoritarian regimes sense weakness and are acting more aggressively. China is accelerating preparations for Taiwan. Russia is not stopping in Ukraine. Iran continues to destabilize the Middle East. And Europe, instead of rapidly rearming, is still hiding behind the backs of Ukrainian soldiers, hoping that “somehow it will pass.” The fall of American hegemony under Trump is not the triumph of a multipolar world, as some like to claim. It is the triumph of weakness, selfishness, and shortsightedness. A world in which the most powerful country refuses to lead becomes far more dangerous for everyone. Because a vacuum of power is always filled by chaos and aggression. The worst part is that this process may become irreversible. Even if Trump eventually leaves, America’s reputation has already been severely damaged. The trust lost in these years will be extremely difficult to restore. Global elites have already begun searching for alternative centers of power — and these will not always be democratic and predictable players. Trump will go down in history not as a strong leader who “made America great again.” He will be remembered as the president under whom America voluntarily renounced its global role. As the man who accelerated the end of the American century. As the weakest president of all time, who managed to undermine the most powerful state in the world from within. History will render its verdict. But it is already clear: we are living in the era of the fall of a former hegemon. And his name is Donald Trump.

A Russian tank is 40 kilometres from the front line. The crew thinks they’re safe. The crew is wrong. A Ukrainian fixed-wing reconnaissance drone is already overhead. The tank’s coordinates are already in Delta — Ukraine’s combat coordination system. The strike drones are already queuing up. The tank has minutes to live, and the soldiers riding past in the truck behind it don’t know they’re about to be a bonus. Meet “Domakha” — the reconnaissance wing crew of Ukraine’s 42nd Separate Mechanised Brigade. ArmyInform spent a day with them. This is what modern warfare actually looks like in 2026. 🧵👇

@PhilMcK62458814 @EricLDaugh How?

@EricLDaugh Yep, they definitely can’t have a nuclear weapon. Fuck them that’s enough chances. Five times they don’t wanna fucking comply. Fuck it. Finish the job.

🚨 President Trump just announced Iran AGREED to give the US "everything," then BACKED OUT "They were going to give us the dust, nuclear dust, everything we wanted. And every time they make a deal, the next day it's like we didn't have that conversation." "And that's taken place about five times. There's something wrong with them. Actually, they're crazy. And you know what? Because of that, they cannot have a nuclear weapon!"

1) Art Blakey Quintet 'A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1–3' (1954) Historical, essential and every other plaudit in the book. Indispensable.

The great Sidney Bechet was born on this day May 14, 1897 in New Orleans. The soprano saxophonist helped keep the lights on for Blue Note in the label's first year of existence when his glorious version of "Summertime" became Blue Note's very first hit: bluenote.lnk.to/SidneyBechet-S…

One of the all- time greatest;

@Bertedtp @mmpadellan Not me, bro.

@ESilverman80 @mmpadellan Or are you making stuff up?

Holy shit, nasty MAGA racist tells Black neighbor "You can go f*ck yourself, you goddamn, f*cking ass n***r." Then when she realizes what she just said on video, immediately tells him "delete it." She's about to find out. Why are they so angry?

@Bertedtp @mmpadellan She was Trump’s campaign manager in her town.

@mmpadellan Where’s the proof she’s MAGA?

Miles Davis, In a Silent Way [1969] Columbia In a Silent Way Miles Davis – trumpet Wayne Shorter – soprano sax John McLaughlin – guitar Chick Corea – piano Herbie Hancock – piano Joe Zawinul – piano, organ Dave Holland – double bass Tony Williams – drums

The Horace Silver Quintet Señor Blues Horace Silver - piano Blue Mitchell - trumpet Junior Cook - tenor sax Gene Taylor - bass Louis Hayes - drums

In May 1860, she kissed her six children goodbye. She thought about the dinner she would cook later. She thought about the laundry. She thought about the quiet life of a mother in Illinois. She had no idea that when the front door clicked shut, it would stay locked for three long years. Her husband, Theophilus Packard, was a respected minister. To the neighbors, he was a man of God. But inside their home, he was a man who could not stand a wife who thought for herself. Elizabeth Packard liked to read. She liked to debate religion. She had her own opinions about life and faith. In the 19th century, for a woman to have a brain was considered a danger. Theophilus decided to end the argument once and for all. He didn’t need a crime. He didn't need a witness. In those days, the law in Illinois said a man could commit his wife to an insane asylum without any evidence or a public hearing. He simply had to say she was "disturbed." One morning, a group of men arrived at her home. They didn't listen to her logic. They didn't care about her tears. They dragged her away to the Jacksonville Insane Asylum. Elizabeth was 43 years old, perfectly sane, and suddenly a prisoner. When she entered the asylum, she expected to see people who needed medical help. Instead, she found a warehouse of "inconvenient" women. There were wives who had argued with their husbands about money. There were daughters who refused to marry men they didn't love. There were women who were simply too loud or too independent. "This is not a hospital," Elizabeth realized. "It is a cage for the unwanted." The doctors tried to break her spirit. They told her that if she just admitted her husband was right and she was wrong, she could go home. They wanted her to say she was crazy for wanting her own thoughts. Elizabeth looked them in the eye and said, "I cannot buy my liberty by a lie." She didn’t give up. Instead, she started to write. She hid scraps of paper in the linings of her clothes. She tucked notes under floorboards. She recorded every abuse, every scream in the night, and every story of the women around her. She became a secret journalist inside a living nightmare. After three years, she was finally released, but her husband locked her in a room at home. He planned to move her to another asylum in a different state. This time, Elizabeth’s friends helped her get a message to a judge. A trial was finally ordered to determine if she was actually insane. The courtroom was packed. Theophilus was confident. He brought "experts" to say that her religious doubts proved her mind was broken. But then, Elizabeth stood up. She didn't shout. She spoke with the calm power of the truth. She explained her beliefs. She showed the jury that having a different opinion is not a disease. The jury only needed seven minutes. They came back with a single word: Sane. Elizabeth walked out as a free woman, but she found that her husband had taken everything. He had sold their furniture, taken her money, and disappeared with their children. She was alone and penniless. Most people would have disappeared into the shadows. Elizabeth did the opposite. She spent the next forty years traveling the country. She stood before the legislature and demanded new laws. She said, "A woman's mind is her own, and the law must protect it." Because of her, states changed their laws. They made it illegal to lock a person away without a fair trial and a medical exam. She turned her private pain into a public shield for thousands of other women. She proved that even if you take away a woman’s home, her money, and her children, you can never truly take away her voice.

🚨 Oklahoma Democrats just forced a vote to ban child marriage. 36 Republicans voted no.