How guitar shredders Yngwie Malmsteen, Racer X, Cacophony and Richie Kotzen turned Shrapnel Records into the fastest label of the 80s

Seven people have died and multiple others have been injured after a bus crash in Mississippi. 

The DOJ threatens to sue two Wisconsin towns, Thornapple and Lawrence, because they are returning to hand-counting ballots. Attorney General Merrick Garland sent them a threatening letter “authorizing the filing of a lawsuit” unless they complied. Garland is pretending the handicapped won’t be able to vote. The DOJ and the disability rights NGO appear to […] The post DOJ Threatens 2 Small Wisconsin Towns for Wanting to Hand Count Ballots appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Donations totaling nearly five thousand dollars were raised for a homeless busker after a video of his soothing voice and guitar riffs went viral on TikTok. The 59-year-old was filmed wowing strangers with his rendition of the Dire Straits hit ‘Sultans of Swing’ as drivers queued up at a MacDonald’s drive-thru. And now nearly £5,000 […] The post Thousands Raised for Homeless Busker After Performance Goes Viral on TikTok (WATCH) appeared first on Good News Network.

How Democrats Wrote Sex Workers Out of Their Platform

A leading expert in near-death experiences argues that a stopped heart no longer signifies the end, thanks to modern medical advancements that allow patients to defy death. In an interview with The Telegraph, Sam Parnia, an associate professor of medicine at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, emphasized that the medical field remains largely outdated in its understanding of death and dying. Parnia cited recent studies, including those conducted at his own lab at NYU, which suggest that the human brain may remain “salvageable for not only hours, but possibly days” after death. One notable study from the Parnia Lab last year revealed that some cardiac arrest patients retained memories of their death experiences up to an hour after their hearts had stopped. Additionally, brain activity in these patients indicated a similar phenomenon. Remarkably, in 40 percent of these cases, brain activity returned to normal or near-normal levels an hour into cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). These findings, along with other studies such as a Yale experiment where decapitated pig brains were revived up to 14 hours after beheading, led Parnia to challenge the notion that death is an irreversible state. He described death as “simply a social convention that does not conform with scientific realities.” “If we remove that social label that makes us think everything stops, and look at it objectively, [death is] basically an injury process,” Parnia told The Telegraph. According to Parnia, this process can be reversed not only through the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines, which function as a substitute for the heart and lungs, but also through specific drug combinations that have shown promise in reviving animals. Parnia revealed that his team might be the only one worldwide administering these so-called “CPR cocktails” — a mixture of epinephrine, the diabetes drug metformin, vitamin C, the antidiuretic drug vasopressin, and the fatigue supplement Sulbutiamine — to cardiac arrest patients in an attempt to bring them back to life. Confident in his methods, the 52-year-old doctor has started telling people that, given his age and gender, he’s likely “going to have a cardiac arrest soon,” and that death shouldn’t be inevitable with interventions like ECMO and CPR cocktails available. “If I have a heart attack and die tomorrow, why should I stay dead?” Parnia asked the newspaper. “That’s not necessary anymore.” While Parnia’s vision of post-death revival hinges heavily on precise timing, he hopes that one day society will view death not as a final frontier, but as a condition that can be reversed in its immediate aftermath — and potentially even beyond. The post Prof. Sam Parnia: Death Appears to Be Reversible appeared first on Anomalien.com.

American consumers have a message to any company that wants their business: Hold the politics. Just ask conservative filmmaker Robby Starbuck. What started with a single post on X taking Tennessee-based Tractor Supply to task for its DEI policies has morphed into a growing national movement, sparking public outcry and prompting policy change from John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Jack Daniels, and Lowe's. This enthusiasm harmonizes with a new study released by the nonprofit 1792 Exchange in conjunction with WestGroup Research and the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy. The study finds that almost 80% of Americans feel that companies have gotten too political. Affiliated with Troy University in Troy, Alabama, the Johnson Center seeks to oppose such ideological capture by training the next generation of business leaders in free-market principles. Align recently spoke to Johnson Center executive director Allen Mendenhall about Starbuck's methods, the need to puncture the myth of corporate omnipotence, and why there's nothing "right-wing" about applying constitutional principles to company policy. Prudent adaptation ALIGN: Critics of Robby Starbuck claim he's motivated by a "right-wing agenda." But isn't he rather advocating for neutrality — a return to "business as usual"? Allen Mendenhall: It strains credulity to label a faithful and thorough application of the 14th Amendment as a "right-wing" position. Yet this is precisely the narrative some progressive voices assign to corporations seeking to comply with the reasonable rulings in two landmark cases: Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina. These decisions, which are far from partisan, determined that race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Ultimately, these rulings represent a recalibration of how constitutional principles are interpreted and applied within academic settings. When a corporation adjusts its practices in response to these decisions, it is not a political act but a prudent adaptation to evolving legal standards. Similarly, Starbuck's position could be seen as advocating for a return to a more traditional corporate focus, emphasizing business fundamentals like customer satisfaction and shareholder value rather than pursuing a specific ideological agenda. He is not seeking to eliminate existing legal protections but rather question the extent to which companies should actively engage in social causes beyond their primary business functions. That isn't "right-wing." If anything, Starbuck advocates for a more focused, less politicized approach to corporate governance and strategy. ALIGN: What does it say about these policies that they can be so easily and quickly abandoned in the face of a little pressure? Has something changed to make this pressure more effective than it was before? Allen Mendenhall: The boycott of Bud Light that followed its to decision to make Dylan Mulvaney a spokesperson was nothing short of a rupture in the ideological fabric. It exposed the truth that consumers possess powerful potential despite the fantasy of corporate omnipotence. No matter how mighty the shareholders are or how aggressively marketers attempt to impose their controversial politics, this resistance was an important reminder: Consumers, when provoked, can reassert themselves and disrupt the narrative from within. No company wants to be the next Anheuser-Busch, the subject of social media mockery with plummeting sales. Slaying the Hydra ALIGN: The right often thinks of "wokeness" as a kind of centrally controlled monolith; in a recent article, you point out that it is more accurate to describe it as a "loose confederation." Why is this more dangerous — and why is it important that the right avoid a simplistic understanding of the forces pushing ESG on us? Allen Mendenhall: The word I used in my original draft was "concatenation," but a great human, Mike Sabo, who edited the piece, judiciously removed it to improve readability. Yet it's the perfect word. If ESG were Goliath, you could kill it with a slingshot and a stone. But it's plugged into networks of interlocking institutions across different countries. As I say in the piece, ESG is not a leviathan but rather a hydra — a multiheaded beast of disparate interests; a loose confederation of academic theorists, corporate opportunists, bankers, investors, lobbyists, non-governmental organizations, and misguided do-gooders all jockeying for position to appear as the most righteous. ESG is dangerous partly because it involves a subtle form of control that shapes how institutions and individuals understand their societal roles and responsibilities. Its power does not derive from one centralized authority but from its capacity to spread and integrate itself into core institutions, government-driven investment vehicles, and the administrative state. But most people cannot even explain what it is. ALIGN: Given that "wokeness" is a "hydra," is going after it company by company (as activists like Starbuck do) the most effective strategy? What other methods might we consider? Allen Mendenhall: First, embrace truth and courage. I feared backlash when we launched our anti-woke business program for undergraduates at the Manuel H. Johnson Center. However, the nationwide support we received was overwhelming. CEOs shared with me insights into the inner workings of ISS and Glass Lewis, while professors expressed interest in creating similar programs at their institutions. Even when banking lobbyists threatened my job and career following my remarks at the Alabama statehouse, the support from across the country emboldened me. What initially felt like isolation soon became a realization that a powerful coalition stood with me. This experience proved the necessity of boldness and honesty — qualities that anyone can embody, regardless of their position. Facilitating meaningful change requires a comprehensive strategy on a larger scale that includes legal action, in-depth research, tactical boycotts, legislative efforts, and thorough education. It means exposing weak politicians beholden to the lobby core. We must also separate taxpayer funds from ESG-weighted portfolios. We should think outside the box, exploring partnerships with peoples and communities worldwide who share more traditional values — perhaps even those we have historically not yet considered allies. With declining birth rates and populations in Europe and countries more inclined toward leftist ideologies, we may see, over time, a natural decline of these potentially harmful ideas. This decline will result from the destructive nature of these ideologies and the dwindling number of their supporters. Ultimately, strength in numbers, even among less influential groups, provides a foundation for effective resistance. This is a long-term vision that recognizes demographic changes and the evolution of ideologies over time. Common ground ALIGN: The need to bring back American manufacturing has become something of a bipartisan issue. Is there an effective way for ESG opponents to appeal to potential allies "across the aisle" while avoiding irresolvable ideological arguments? Allen Mendenhall: Setting aside the manufacturing issue, there is potential for the left and right to find common ground on ESG. Leftist groups frequently protest against companies like BlackRock, but they get little attention from the legacy media. For my students on the left, I recommend reading a few books: "Woke Capitalism" by Carl Rhodes, "Our Lives in Their Portfolios" by Brett Christophers, and "The Problem of Twelve" by John Coates. Though I may not always agree with these authors, we share a common understanding of the underlying issues. It is frustrating to see uninformed journalists criticize the anti-ESG movement from what they perceive to be a leftist standpoint, especially when they lack a full understanding of the topic and are being manipulated by those who do understand. Some leftists are prepared to abandon the traditional focus on class and poverty in favor of embracing the riches, status, and influence that come with fully committing to environmentalism and identity politics. ALIGN: To what extent do you see local business as a solution? Can rampant ESG be a spur to entrepreneurship? Allen Mendenhall: I will withdraw my deposits from Truist and bank with a local community bank that does not promote ESG and values at odds with mine. I hesitate to encourage people to withdraw deposits from Big Banking en masse because a run on the banks wouldn't help anyone. But I don't think local for the sake of localism is necessarily helpful from an economic standpoint. The entrepreneurship approach is far better, and I suspect we will see exciting changes across investment and financial services. We are already seeing them. Pushing back ALIGN: What can our subscribers do to fight ESG? Allen Mendenhall: People of varying financial means must approach the fight against ESG in different ways. Those who are just getting by can focus on purchasing products only from companies that align with their values or are at least politically neutral. However, those with more financial resources can have a more significant influence in the investment arena. We need more corporations acquiring substantial shares of publicly traded companies to have a stronger voice in decisions on shareholder proposals during proxy season. While I am generally cautious about turning to politics for solutions, we have seen significant progress from state treasurers and legislators who are becoming aware of the implications of ESG. They are starting to push back by divesting from asset management firms that prioritize ESG and ensuring that public funds are not wasted on investments that favor ideological values over financial returns. It seems counterintuitive that fund managers or their clients would favor underperforming ESG investments and business strategies over more profitable options. However, a recent survey by the Hoover Institution reveals that young investors — who are often less financially secure than their parents were at the same age — are willing to sacrifice 11% to 15% of their savings to support ESG-driven initiatives related to social causes or the environment. It will be interesting to observe how these younger investors' priorities evolve, just as the counterculture youth of 1968 became, for the most part, the Reagan-voting yuppies of the 1980s. In contrast, Baby Boomers prefer a more traditional investment strategy, expressing a reluctance to incur financial losses with their retirement savings. If young investors are truly passionate about issues like net-zero emissions or gender diversity, why not invest directly in charities or philanthropic efforts dedicated to those causes? Alternatively, why not aim to maximize their investment returns to have more resources to support their preferred political and social agendas?

Teaching children that they’re innately immoral based on their skin color is never funny. Unless, of course, it’s a joke that Alex Stein of “Prime Time with Alex Stein” is making. BlazeTV’s resident comedian drew laughter heard around the world — literally — when a bit of his making fun of critical race theorists landed on Sky News Australia. “The left wants critical race theory shoved down children’s throats, from kindergarten onwards, to make sure they’re aware of their white privilege and victim hierarchies. But how soon is too soon to teach the young'uns about what awful racists they are?” Sky News host Rita Panahi asks. “Well, comic Alex Stein thinks it’s never too early,” she adds before playing the hilarious clip. “At one point, your ancestors owned slaves,” Stein says to an adorable white baby, who coos lightly. “Yes, they did, I don’t care what they tell you; even if you’re not related to them. You being white is oppressive to a whole group of people. You are an oppressor, do you understand that?” “The earlier you understand that you’re an oppressor to not only black people but also Hispanic people that are here illegally—” he continues before being cut off by the baby loudly babbling, looking confused. “Yes, you are oppressing illegals,” he says sternly, as if she was arguing. While Stein stands by his humorous criticism of critical race theory, he tells Rita Panahi that it’s not the worst thing the left is doing to children. “The most disgusting thing that they want to do is they want to actually do sexual education in elementary school. So critical race theory isn’t even half as bad as what these people on the left really want to do,” Stein explains. “So this is obviously satire, and you know, went semi-viral on Twitter because people are just laughing and mocking it because this is sadly the real truth of what’s happening here in America,” he adds. Want more from Alex Stein?To enjoy more of Alex's culture jamming, comedic monologues, skits, and street segments, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.