The post Common Gun Myths You Need to Stop Believing appeared first on Prepper Website.

Chuck Todd may have pushed out of his job hosting Meet the Press‚ but it wasn’t because he was an original thinker. Todd posted a piece about “Confronting Trump” on NBCNews.com that – shocker – sprung out of a family trip Todd took to Germany‚ including tours of museums about the Nazi era. This‚ unsurprisingly‚ turns to comparisons of Trump and Hitler: As many a scholar and victim of the Nazi regime has wondered aloud‚ how did such a civilized nation like Germany end up bringing a tyrant like Adolf Hitler to power? Why wasn’t he stopped sooner? Why did it take a global war to stop him? Why did the German people usher him in‚ in the first place? Why didn’t the German people rise up themselves and stop him and the Nazis? There’s no doubt that this recent history is what has motivated so many entities in American politics to make decisions on their own to confront the perceived threat of Trump. The lesson we all have taken from history is to stand up to tyrants‚ not to cower. In fact‚ there’s been no shortage of attempts to confront or “stop” Trump — just far more bad attempts than good ones. Oh‚ they were "noble‚" he said‚ but they often backfire -- as he thinks will happen from Colorado and Maine trying to take Trump off the ballot. He lamented the Big Tech deplatforming of Trump didn't hurt him‚ and weirdly claimed nobody in the media pays attention to Trump's Truth Social rants. "Trump simply created his own social media ecosystem‚ which allowed him to communicate his crazy grievances‚ and his grievance-driven politics‚ directly to his supporters without any pushback or notice from mainstream America." That's simply not true. We're being incessantly told about his "crazy grievances." Todd claimed "Editing Trump or protecting the public from what Trump does and says only shields him from outrage. If anything‚ the media are probably under-covering Trump and what he’s promising to do. [!] Trump should be interviewed more‚ not less; he should be questioned confrontationally‚ but in different ways." Differently than Kristen Welker did? Wouldn't we like to know? He concluded by returning to Hitler museum analogies:  Ultimately‚ as hard as everyone outside the GOP is trying to honestly confront Trump‚ it’s the Republican Party members who are either going to have to do it or lose their careers trying. Because one day‚ association with Trump won’t be a golden ticket to winning a GOP primary‚ but a mark of shame in the history books. Let’s hope we won’t need to build new museums or exhibits to prove to the American public we’ve learned a lesson. If we could ask Todd a question‚ it would be this: If indicting Trump and impeaching Trump and ripping Trump off the ballot isn't working‚ what would happen if the media gave his Republican opponents more of a chance to communicate on their airwaves? Why does Trump receive the lion's share of attention‚ and obviously more attention than the current president is getting? Did that work for the media in 2016? 

Sen. John Fetterman‚ the Democrat representing Pennsylvania‚ has been attacked by progressives for calling Harvard too liberal‚ and not espousing the left's stance on former President Donald Trump and the Israel-Hamas war. Fetterman ripped his alma mater‚ Harvard‚ in an interview with Semafor published on Friday. Fetterman was first asked about his support for Israel‚ which has been criticized by fellow Democrats.Fetterman told Semafor‚ "In that region‚ it’s our strongest ally‚ and we have a very special kind of relationship. I don’t understand how anybody could vote against the Iron Dome‚ or want to harm Israeli businesses or the nation or anything. I’ll never understand that. Calling them 'colonizers' — like‚ where does this come from? It must be TikTok or some kind of obscure classroom talk."Fetterman then took aim at Harvard University – which has been rocked by accusations of allowing anti-Semitism to infect the campus. "As an alum of Harvard — look‚ I graduated 25 years ago‚ and of course it was always a little pinko. But now‚ I don’t recognize it‚" Fetterman declared. Cenk Uygur – progressive host of "The Young Turks" – lashed out at the Democratic senator. "Now John Fetterman is telling everyone how he's not a progressive‚ he rejects us and is now calling Harvard 'pinko.' What the f***? This is why people lose hope‚ because of frauds like Fetterman. You work hard to get a progressive elected and they turn into Republicans instantly‚" Uygur wrote on the X social media platform. Semafor journalist David Weigel asked Fetterman why he isn't a progressive any longer. "The thing is‚ though — I was surprised that when I said I wasn’t a progressive‚ that it made news‚" Fetterman replied. "I’ve been saying that for years. Even before the [2022] primary‚ I did an interview where I said that. Those earlier progressive kinds of beliefs have now become political boilerplate. What really is a progressive now? With respect to Israel‚ that’s just not something that I identify as anymore."Two days after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7‚ Fetterman proclaimed: "I unequivocally support any necessary military‚ intelligence‚ and humanitarian aid to Israel...I also fully support Israel neutralizing the terrorists responsible for this barbarism."Fetterman also caused Democrats to be concerned with his opinions on other critical topics. The Democrat politician slammed attempts to remove Trump from the ballots ahead of the 2024 election. "I just want to just go on the record to say how incredibly unhelpful it is to have other states removing him from the ballot‚" Fetterman told The Daily Beast on Friday. "All of that is a gift to Trump. And all it does is just make him more popular and strong. That's just going to energize his base—it's just not helpful.""You know‚ he just absorbs this kind of energy‚" Fetterman said of Trump. "The only way that we're going to put him away is going to be in an election."Fetterman also proclaimed that there is a "crisis" at the southern border with record numbers of illegal immigrants surging into the United States – a completely different perspective than President Joe Biden. "There's a crisis at the border‚ and I don't know how anybody could pretend that there isn't‚" Fetterman said on Friday. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

News surfaced on Friday that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized since Jan. 1. While the press was kept in the dark that Austin had been hospitalized‚ it is now reported that President…

Sen. John Fetterman‚ the Democrat representing Pennsylvania‚ has been attacked by progressives for calling Harvard too liberal‚ and not espousing the left's stance on former President Donald Trump and…

Since 1998‚ the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program has fostered innovation by accepting new and unconventional proposals from the scientific community. Those selected are awarded funding to conduct early-stage technology studies that could lead to applications that help advance the agency’s scientific and exploration objectives. In a recent press statement‚ NASA announced the 13 concepts it has selected for Phase I development‚ which will receive a combined award of up to $175‚000 in grants to assess the concepts’ feasibility and develop the technology further. This year’s selectees range from a sample return from the surface of Venus‚ a fixed-wing aircraft for Mars‚ a swarm of probes to travel to Proxima Centauri and explore its system of exoplanets‚ and more. One of the more eye-catching is the Mars Aerial and Ground Global Intelligent Explorer (MAGGIE) proposed by Ge-Cheng Zha‚ a Professor of Aerodynamics at the Univeristy of Miami and the President of Coflow Jet LLC. The concept calls for a compact‚ fixed-wing‚ solar-powered aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). A collage of illustrations highlighting the novel concepts proposed by the 2024 NIAC Phase I awardees. Credit: (clockwise‚ from upper right) Benner/Zhang/McQuinn/Romero-Calvo/Eubanks/Carpenter/Bickford/Romero/Calvo/Cabauy/ Landis/Rothschild/Zha/NASA Through the NIAC‚ NASA maintains a strong tradition where game-changing proposals submitted by the public became missions that made crucial contributions. As NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said in the statement: “The daring missions NASA undertakes for the benefit of humanity all begin as just an idea‚ and NIAC is responsible for inspiring many of those ideas. The Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars and instruments on the MarCO deep space CubeSats can trace their lineage back to NIAC‚ proving there is a path from creative idea to mission success. And‚ while not all these concepts will fly‚ NASA and our partners worldwide can learn from fresh approaches and may eventually use technologies advanced by NIAC.” According to Zha’s proposal paper‚ the inclusion of the CoFlow Jet (CFJ) deflected slipstream technology means that MAGGIE will be capable of cruising at Mach 0.25 (~300 km/h; 190 mph) with a cruise lift coefficient (CL) of 3.5 – nearly an order of magnitude higher than conventional subsonic aircraft in Mars’ thin atmosphere. A fully charged battery would last 7.6 Martian days (sols)‚ giving MAGGIE a range of 179 km (111 mi) at an altitude of 1‚000 m (3280 ft). The total range of MAGGIE for an entire Martian year – which works out to 668 sols or 687 Earth days – is 16‚048 km (9972 mi). As Zha told Universe Today via email‚ the proprietary CFJ technology consists of three elements: “First‚ CoFlow Jet (CFJ) active flow control enhances lift coefficient‚ which is needed to overcome the low air density on Mars (1% of that on Earth). Conventional lift coefficient will not be able to lift a useful payload. Second‚ CFJ removes flow separation or stall. Due to the low air density on Mars‚ the Reynolds number is very low‚ which makes the  Aircraft prone to flow separation and stall. If the aircraft stalls‚ the aircraft will crash‚ and the game is over. “Third‚ CFJ enables deflected slipstream‚ which is the flow pulled by the propeller. It can turn the flow 90 deg downward so that the VTOL aircraft does not need to tilt the propellers upward at hover. The propeller will remain at the forward-facing position like the at cruise. The CFJ is used in the flap to turn the flow. It makes the VTOL aircraft much simpler than conventional aircraft.” Image of the Mars Ingenuity helicopter. Credit: NASA The mission profile envisioned here would consist of three atmospheric and geophysical investigations. These would explore how long Mars had a magnetic field‚ the source of methane signals detected by the Curiosity rover in the Gale Crater‚ and in-depth mapping of the subsurface water ice observed around Mars’ mid-latitudes. Its reliance on solar energy also means that the mission (barring an accident) could remain operational indefinitely. In short‚ MAGGIE would be able to perform the first global-scale atmospheric mission of Mars and would be the first concept to enable the ongoing exploration of the Red Planet. “It has a global scale range. It can go anywhere on Mars‚” said Zha. “All the previous rovers can only explore a point on Mars. Their range is very limited. It can not just do the examination on the ground surface‚ but also examine the atmosphere since it flies.” The professor also noted how his concept pays homage to the Ingenuity helicopter‚ which effectively demonstrated the potential for airborne missions on Mars. MAGGIE‚ he claims‚ would be similarly engaging to the public because of its audacious nature and the variety of environments it could explore‚ study‚ and image. In keeping with the proud tradition of NASA Spinoff‚ Zha also noted how developing this concept for investigating extraterrestrial environments will have applications for VTOL technologies here on Earth: “Currently‚ there is a big movement on Earth to develop eVTOL for urban air mobility (Google it if you are not familiar). They all need to use title rotors‚ tilt wings‚ and lift-plus-cruise. It is heavy‚ draggy‚ and inefficient. Using the same technology of CoFlow Jet (CFJ) deflected slipstream of MAGGIE‚ we can improve the efficiency of the eVTOL on Earth enormously.” Further Reading: NASA The post NASA Selects the MAGGIE Solar-Powered Aircraft for the 2024 NIAC Program appeared first on Universe Today.

The psych rockers often concluded their live show with this arresting ballad. The post Watch The Grateful Dead cover Bob Dylan song ‘It’s All Over Now‚ Baby Blue’ first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

War has the power to bring out the best in people. Incredible heroism‚ courage‚ self-sacrifice rise miraculously. In quieter times‚ great issues don’t seem to be at stake. We are used to getting by more easily and making easier choices. Faced with life-or-death choices‚ between deliverance or enslavement‚ some people rise to the moment and give from their deepest reserves of strength‚ sometimes even to the last full measure of devotion. We see and hear so many tales of this from Israel today. As in Britain under Churchill‚ party differences have disappeared‚ and all give what they can offer for the people to survive and triumph.The people will win their battle with the enemy without. And they will have the last word on the political battles within. War also exposes human darkness and smallness. When some give everything for their fellow citizen and their people‚ others‚ finding people’s minds elsewhere‚ see war as a unique opportunity to feather their own nest and increase their own power. How jarring it is to see those who wish to be respected as the supreme judges and arbiters of law in Israel should choose the moment when everyone else is fighting for their lives to try to consolidate their position as unelected and unchecked arbiters subject no check or balance whatever. They just overruled a law passed by Israel’s parliament‚ the Knesset‚ which required them to have more of a basis in law to overturn a government policy than their own assertion that it was not “reasonable” — a truly astonishing assertion of unlimited‚ unchecked judicial authority. (READ MORE from Shmuel Klatzkin: Reject Iran’s Lies) When John Marshall established the lasting precedent that America’s Supreme Court should be able to overturn legislation as unconstitutional‚ he did so with incredible wisdom. Chief Justice Marshall was a Federalist in a nation that had dismissed the Federalists from power forever. In the case of Madison v. Marbury‚ though‚ Marshall did not uphold the case of the aggrieved Federalist‚ Marbury‚ whose appointment had been deliberately deep-sixed by Jefferson’s Secretary of State‚ James Madison. Marshall allowed Jefferson the win‚ but did so by asserting that a law passed by Congress and which would have awarded Marbury his position was in fact unconstitutional and so invalid. By giving up his narrow partisan interest in Marbury‚ he impressed the whole nation with his judicious temperament. The people felt that he was above a small and narrow interest and trusted his assertion of power. And that assertion established a lasting precedent in this country that still seems unassailable. Israel does not inherit its law directly from America. It came rather from Britain‚ which has not until most recently had a high court independent of Parliament. There is no reason to say that Israel must follow the specifics of the American model and grant its high court the great powers that John Marshall brought to SCOTUS.   That certainly doesn’t rule out their being able to follow Marshall’s example and make the case to the people that they should invest that court with such a lofty power. But if they mean to follow Marshall’s example‚ they are reading him through the Woke prism of pure power. They have just ruled on a case in which they asserted the power to rule invalid a law campaigned for publicly and passed by the people’s representatives that disallowed that court from nullifying laws on the mere assertion that they found it unreasonable.  That seems a reasonable enough limitation. After all‚ SCOTUS is restricted by a precisely worded document‚ the Constitution‚ and by precedent. Excesses have occurred‚ but they have been largely corrected‚ a process in which the late‚ great Justice Scalia played a leading role. Judges should not legislate. Their role under the Constitution is to adjudicate and to preserve the people’s rights under their Constitution.  Israel‚ like Britain‚ has no such written constitution. On what basis‚ then‚ can the judges overrule the will of the people as expressed through their elected representatives? It would seem fairly reasonable to ask for a more judicious disinterested rationale than just saying: The Knesset thought this was great‚ but we don’t. With this‚ these unelected judges‚ who also can largely pick their own successors‚ pit themselves against the people — at least‚ those people who voted in the last election and gave their vote to the winning party‚ which had put this issue before the votes in clear terms. (READ MORE: A Real Democracy Cannot Protect Hamas) In the midst of this war‚ in which the entire country is in mourning over the worst attack in its history‚ in which young Israelis are sacrificing everything to save their people and their freedom‚ the high court in Israel ruled on a case that involved itself and its own powers and showed their disinterestedness and impartiality by — ruling for themselves. Perhaps the people of Israel will agree with them. If that is so‚ that will be the lasting precedent. But I wonder if this strange and jarring partisanship at a time the country is united in selfless sacrifice might not have crossed a line and be seen even by their former backers as wrong. Dreadfully wrong. At its best‚ the American judiciary was intimately aware of its duty to the people who empower the entire constitutional system. When a deeply divisive issue came before the Warren Court in the Brown decision ending school segregation‚ Warren worked and worked until the court spoke with one voice and unanimously — including Justice Black from Alabama — discarded the standard of separate but equal that upheld Jim Crow. A narrow‚ split decision would have made the transition away from state-sponsored segregation a nightmare‚ many times worse and more violent than it was. Marshall’s selflessness was exemplary‚ and no use was made of the power he established for many years. When that power was finally used‚ it was perhaps the single worst use of judicial power in American history — the Dred Scott decision‚ throwing out every bit of legislation and compromise that had slowly started to limit slavery in the U.S. Probably no single act did more to propel the country into Civil War than that horrific decision. If Israel’s court wants the power that John Marshall brought to the American Supreme Court‚ they should have followed more closely Marshall’s own restraint and respect for the will of the people. They didn’t. It’s now back in the hands of the people. It is they who will see what its enduring legacy is. Justices no less than legislators or administrators can make bad decisions. Some are so truly awful that they can spiral a society into horrific chaos‚ as did the Dred Scott decision. Lincoln campaigned against the Supreme Court and said in the Douglas debates that he would not allow Dred Scott to be defining precedent. He stood with the right and what a terrible cost was paid. But the people had their say‚ and put their lives on the line for it‚ and they‚ not the courts‚ established equality in the 13th‚ 14th‚ and 15th Amendments. SCOTUS pushed back against equality with Plessy‚ shamefully and falsely maintaining that “separate but equal” expressed the will of We the People. Courts are sometimes horribly‚ dreadfully wrong. (READ MORE: Bidenpolitik: A Foreign Policy Without Coherence) It is the people who will decide in the end in Israel. They will fight on against the enemy without‚ shoulder to shoulder. Through sacrifice and unity‚ they will re-establish the peace. They will have the say in the end on this great constitutional issue as well‚ not a court deciding to increase its own power. It is they who will in the end decide what matches their own dedication beyond partisanship and whether they think the court’s decision is as wise and necessary as Marbury or as disastrous as Dred Scott or Plessy. The people will win their battle with the enemy without. And they will have the last word on the political battles within. May God bless the people’s selflessness that it be mirrored in their servants in government!   The post Israel’s High Court Pulls a <;i>;Dred Scott<;/i>; appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Nicaragua’s anti-Catholic regime rounded out 2023 with nearly 20 Catholic clerics imprisoned‚ earning sharp criticism‚ especially from the U.S. On New Year’s Eve‚ Fr. Gustavo Sandino Ochoa became the 15th priest abducted by President Daniel Ortega’s paramilitary police in December. Also imprisoned are two seminarians and two bishops‚ including Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa‚ who has been imprisoned since police raided the diocesan headquarters in August of 2022‚ and Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega of Siuna‚ who was arrested and allegedly beaten last month on his way to administer the sacrament of confirmation to over 200 children. Two seminarians were arrested with the bishop. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has also been critical of the Ortega dictatorship’s anti-Catholicism. Fr. Carlos Aviles and Fr. Hector Treminio‚ senior officials in the Archdiocese of Managua‚ were also arrested after offering prayers for Álvarez‚ who was sentenced to 26 years in prison after refusing exile last year. Fr. Óscar Escoto‚ vicar general of Matagalpa‚ was also arrested‚ released the following morning‚ and arrested again. He was released on Christmas Eve. Fr. Jader Guido‚ also of Matagalpa‚ was arrested Christmas Eve after praying for Álvarez‚ and Fr. Pablo Villafranca was arrested after publicly calling for the Matagalpa bishop’s release. (READ MORE from S.A. McCarthy: ‘A Simple‚ Humble Laborer in The Vineyard of The Lord’) Over December 29 and 30‚ at least ten priests were arrested by the Nicaraguan President. Managua’s archdiocesan exorcist‚ Fr. Ismael Serrano‚ was arrested along with Fr. Silvio Fonseca‚ director of the archdiocesan family ministry. Also arrested were Fr. Miguel Mántica‚ Fr. Mykel Monterrey‚ Fr. Jader Hernández‚ Fr. Gerardo Rodríguez‚ Fr. Raúl Zamora‚ Fr. Ervin López‚ Fr. Jaime Ramos‚ and Fr. José Sandino. Although it’s unclear what prompted the Ortega regime’s latest rash of arrests and abductions‚ the dictatorship reportedly banned priests from mentioning Álvarez during Mass or asking for prayers for the imprisoned prelate. Of course‚ the Eucharistic prayer often necessitates naming the local diocesan bishop‚ making the dictatorship’s diktat difficult to follow‚ even if a priest wanted to. Catholics arrested by Ortega have been sent to either El Modelo‚ known for housing political prisoners‚ or El Chipote‚ known for torturing prisoners. The 63-year-old Bishop Mora is reportedly being held in El Chipote. Relatives of imprisoned priests report that they have been denied the opportunity to visit the priests or take them medicine. In addition to arresting bishops‚ priests‚ and seminarians‚ the Ortega regime has also shuttered Catholic radio stations‚ abducted Catholic and independent journalists‚ frozen the bank accounts of Catholic dioceses‚ and closed down Catholic seminaries and universities. Ortega has also exiled religious orders and seized their property‚ including the Jesuits‚ kicked out Archbishop Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag‚ the Apostolic Nuncio to Nicaragua‚ and closed off all diplomatic ties to the Holy See. In 2023‚ Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors ranked Nicaragua one of the 50 most difficult countries in which to be a Christian. Ortega’s anti-Catholic animus has prompted criticism from religious liberty advocates‚ especially in the U.S. For example‚ Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said that the Ortega regime “is a dictatorship‚ to be sure‚ it’s also one that’s off the rails.” He added‚ “It’s a deteriorating situation where the government is persecuting the Church‚ and it’s hard to see what the end game of this is.” Pope Francis has also voiced concern over the situation in Nicaragua‚ saying in his New Year’s Day address‚ “Let’s pray for Nicaragua today.” He explained that he is “following with concern what is happening in Nicaragua‚ where bishops and priests have been deprived of their freedom.” (READ MORE: Which Way‚ Western Man? Satanic Idols or Christian Morality?) The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has also been critical of the Ortega dictatorship’s anti-Catholicism. Commissioner Frank Wolf urged Congress to pass the “Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights in Nicaragua Act of 2023‚” saying‚ “We urge the U.S. Congress to help stem these egregious religious freedom violations and hold violators accountable by passing the bipartisan Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights in Nicaragua Act of 2023.” The bill has been sponsored by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida‚ an outspoken Catholic. However‚ the federal government’s response to these clear religious liberty violations has been tepid‚ at best. Last year‚ National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby called Ortega’s anti-Catholic crackdown “unacceptable‚” but did little else. The U.S. State Department placed sanctions on 100 Nicaraguan officials in August‚ barring them from traveling to the U.S. Big whoop. The post In 2023‚ Nicaragua Was No Place To Be Catholic appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.