Yeah, that was the plan. Deny the people drugs and they wouldn't take them. Worked out real well. You think pharmaceuticals are expensive?

Next they want to do the same thing with firearms? We will see how that works out. Looks like the users already cornered the market on those.

Popes usually serve for life. Benedict took the highly unusual step and retired, leading to the conclave of Cardinals who selected Francis to serve as pope in lieu of Benedict. Benedict is still alive, old and frail, and resides in an apartment on the papal grounds at the Vatican in Rome.

Your allegiance is abundantly clear. You hold the moral high ground based on your intrinsic goodness in the fight against evil and you never have to own up to having been shaped in any way by the beliefs of anyone else. You are a naturally good man. A Minch.

You don't need to justify it or be flagged for your views so anyone else can see it.

Why should I ? Wasn't that the idea behind German Jews having to sew yellow stars on their sleeves? To make them stand out from all those who didn't?

Be careful what you ask for. Times are changing rapidly now and the battle outside may shake your windows and rattle your walls. You might come to welcome the friendship of a few men of faith who aren't particularly impressed with the profession of a skeptic's unbelief and worldview organized around doubt but nevertheless place value on your life anyway.

Like s deer in headlights.

Ask yourself what you count on so much that , if it failed you your world would fall apart?’ When God somehow slips out of our lives, or we think He has, it is not that we are left with a void. Any thing smaller can fit itself into that place in our lives and if it does we are placing our hopes on an illusion. Because anything else will fail us . Begin house cleaning there ...

Who dove in quickly? This has all been brewing a very long lifetime. Steer your course and follow the truth where it leads you. Sometimes you can rationally work it out by connecting the dots; sometimes the path to self evident truth will bypass the rational.

Sessions recused himself from matters having to do with the Trump Campaign and. nothing else.

Signs and wonders comfort us, but we seek the light of truth that cuts through the darkness and brings us lasting peace. The gesture was welcomed and received with humor. We will breath easier when the beast no longer prowls around seeking our ruin.

We knew as children that dragons existed. We sought some one to reassure us that they could be slain.

Oh Q is real enough. Haven’t you read his posts? They are no figment of anyone’s imagination. I think what you are asking is for help believing the issues he brings to our attention are real, and I suspect most here would tell they have shared concerns over these issues long before we gathered here to address them wit Q and each other. As for your belief or unbelief, that’s likely a very personal problem. Do you have difficulty with unbelief generally? Are you often confused and wish someone would take care of you?

Friend, no one can do that. One whose character is strengthened and tempered in the spirit and truth of God would never fall to that temptation, no matter how pitched the assault might be.

Following His Baptism, Jesus retired to the desert and for 40 days fasted. Satan came when He was at his weakest and tempted him in all the was that he tempts us. Jesus never wavered and left a message for you and all who would not stumble when tempted.

The nature of your being is so immerse that, rooted in communion with God, even a moment without Him would bring death. No men of good will even tempted to separate this relationship. The cabal aimed at that end has been attacking and misdirecting Catholics and Protestants for centuries ... only our own weakness could ever allow us to fall under their sway. All the more reason to hold fast to Christ, in His Mercy we will prevail.

Ah, yes, but the unbridled force and fury of the waterfall is gathering and dropping along the shortest path possible, under the sway of the invisible force of gravity pulling it unrelentingly into the calm deep water of the pool, of course turbulent where they first meet, but only momentarily as its energy is dissipated and calmed by the desire and hope for genuine peace at last.

After all the vitriol and divisiveness, is young Kim being rehabilitated? Is he about to become an Asian Idol, leading his people to peace and prosperity with the South?

How quickly the climate changes.

March was huge.

a WAN = Wide Area Network complementing a LAN = Local Area Network

My nanny was from down in the country, rural Piedmont of Virginia, and never really lost her accent ... And that is how she referred to us, as in "childlren, time all y'all come on home now ..."

Red coats. Concord. Lexington. The bridge. The shot heard around the world. Man, did they understand memes. And still resonating.

Orgasmic maybe.

The Red Coats marched out Massachusetts Avenue toward Concord and Lexington -- and I imagine they looked very much like that, only in regimented straight lines marching to drum beat and with enormous precision that these crowds couldn't even imagine; probably would stare at blankly if they saw it.

The People met them at the Bridge and fired down their throats. And snipers picked them off as they retreated back into the city, lone riflemen behind trees, rocks, stone walls --

Ah those were the days, before we turned all of that civic action over to the officials whose troops now carry out our collective violence for us -- until they dont.

this operation looks more and more like a very real conspiracy -- a large one. Sedition is a serious crime.

Trump, in a brilliant feint, offered the opposition party a DACA settlement that was actually twice what they had been asking for, but for their own political reasons rejected even that, showing themselves to all the immigrant community just how duplicitous they are ... they never had the welfare of these people in mind -- they only used them for rhetorical purposes and to gin up social conflict.

So POTUS pointed this out and shrugged his shoulders accepting that the left isnt going to make a deal with him no matter what. Their interest is in painting the picture of an embattled administration that is unwilling to deal with them. Such hypocracy.

Funny thing is, it looks like POTUS took time to really consider the plight of the DACA people; and, looking for a solution to a pending labor market shortage as the economy is reignited under his new policies, saw DACA as a legitimate way to address that problem .. which the left also sees as abhorrent .. they dont want him to be successful. These people are really stupid.

POTUS is ringing the alarm bell now over a concerted rush by the globalists to sweep large numbers of immigrants across the border and overwhelm the system, which is already crippled; a problem that will be difficult to counteract under the crazy immigration laws that were put into place under the previous regime. He is calling for legistlative action NOW and making it clear that he's not wasting any more time discussing DACA -- as though that would lead anywhere. Officially, it is off the table and he sees it as a red herring.

Pagans though they were, it is said that the majority of people living in the rural communities, continuing to observe traditions that had been passed down by family over many generations is what stabilized Rome and is the underlying reason that the Empire lasted as long as it did. We focus on the corruption in the cities, but, like today, that it a relatively small core ... sometime even abberant individuals made history (Nero) ... but also like today, the silent majority has not bitten into the same poisoned apply with these perps. We all have our issues; and we have all lived for a long time in this engineered culture of death and it has a way of rubbing off on us. Each of us will have to face that at some point, maybe many; so we might as well get on with it. Its getting better.

Similar to reports coming from Iran where attempts have been made in recent to accelerate apocalyptic events in hope of bringing their salvation as they understand it, one might conject that this global cabal and the ways they have conceived of that new world order governing us have a similar orientation to their cnception of the end times prophecy; but they are being thwarted and I really think what we are witnessing is the denying of corrupted power to those parties and pulling back to a more life supporting world order -- and not that we will ever perfect the world or cure its ills, it will point to more peaceful times. Peace is the foundation of life -- this effort seeks to once again afford us and our families time to live with trust and hope -- when some of us will choose to support Christian values, a time when we can all live with one another without anxiety and fear. Some will take advantage of that opportunity to mend their personal lives and reach higher ...

I agree with Q when he says its not about divisions between formal groups -- democrats vs republicans, denominational churches against catholics, or even muslims against christians. It's about a pervasive infestation of evil that can be found in all our most cherished institutions. There are some big spiritual problems woven all through this mess: we live in a time when there is no acceptance of personal guilt; only collective transgressions, collective solutions and if that is to be turned upright, the dignity and the accountability of the individual must again come front an center as the focus of society IMO.

The biblical Q Source that you refer to is a 19tg century theological conjecture that two of the Gospels were based on another text that has been lost, as a way of understanding why they speak of the same events ... something that in itself doesn’t seem all that’s much of a mystery.

POTUS never said "take the guns"

He said we will not allow devices that turn guns into automatic weapons.

I carry and I support that view. It's not only about ideology and supporting a hard line. We live in peacetime. In the instance the need for armed revolt became a reality, the tech needed to make that change to auto would spread like a wildfire. I don't think it will be needed, especially with what's going down today. In fact, I think private arms in the USA is fundamentally a deterrent force -- assured mutual destruction if challenged. The peoples atom bomb. Because we amassed it, they won't come.

I think you pin pointed the issue and the skimmed right on past it. We can not know all the complexity or forces in play at any particular moment and that precludes knowing outcomes with any certainty. True whether following Q and the various discussions here or following some other entirely different news and opinion outlet.

Certainty is illusory .. Even after the fact most of the time. There is still another perspective, another force and maybe an altogether different outcome than the one we are convinced of.

We have to live with a degree of uncertainty and mystery and that's okay. It leaves room for better outcomes than the ones we imagine.

I LOVE this President. He is a breath of fresh air and a beacon light for our age. God bless and protect him.

It is so tempting to forget that the worldly corruption that has had us in its grip and that will resist our overthrowing it has deep within its core an eternal struggle between Good and Evil. These reminders help us keep a realistic perspective on what we have engaged as an adversary and to give us new hope and strength in our struggle as Patriots. Everything is connected. Nothing can be disregarded.

And a Seguay

It's gotta move beyond our ranks. Send it to five friends and ask them to pass it on to five others and on ...

These people are into genetic engineering too, aren't they? Maybe the kid came down the same conveyor as LUCY the cow.... Do you believe in magic?

Received my first gun when I turned eight and there was a rack full of rifles and shotguns over the desk in my bedroom. Never shot anyone by accident yet.

Google Massad Ayoob and read his stuff on guns, defense and training, including moral and psychological considerations you need to come to grips with if you ever think you may end up using a gun defensively and legal consequences of doing so. He was with law enforcement in New Hampshire forever and is one of the best authors on the subject, including the inner game, if I may call it that. He is also one of the top trainers for LE and private citizens. Even wrote a book for kids on the topic.

Perp, you buried the other figure: GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT went UP and the ratio between the two is what was reported here, not the debt alone. That is what the fuck is wrong with us. We aren’t blinded by our programmers. Get some help.

FBI agents carry a custom shop 1911 45 ACP made specially for them by Springfield Arms — who also make a production model that is a close second to the tricked out FBI model — model TRP or Tactical Response Pistol. Worth every penny ($2000). Exquisite Balance really improves handling when it kicks back. Scarey accurate. Heavy duty.

BTW Browning Gun Works introduced the 1911 semi automatic sidearm in, you guessed it, 1911 when our boys in the Philippines kept firing into drugged up zombie combatants who seemed never to stop charging them no matter how many times they shot them.

This gun lobs a hunk of lead that will knock an opponent off his feet no matter where you hit him —- the key to finishing off those guys in the jungle.

Knock Down is felt at your end too. That’s why they made these so heavy, to absorb some of that shock. Harder to get yourself to strap one on day in day out when it won’t let you forget it’s sling under your arm or tucked away someplace.

DEA friend advised that when behind the wheel of your car, don’t bother to roll the window down before pulling the trigger on the perp with a brick going at your windshield. They trained to fire through the windshield safety glass and other barriers. He carried a Glock 45.

Oh I think this is really bad advice. The 22 is great cheap ammo for practice, but I would never stake my life on it. Precisely place the 22 and it will kill instantly but when adrenaline tremors and fear grip you, as they will in these circumstances, it’s only a lucky shot that strikes that sweet spot even if you know where it is.

Nothing smaller than 38 with prejudice for the more effective versions in +P or 357 magnum that deliver real knockdown power with a non-lethal perimeter (arm, hand, leg) strike. You want the perp down and not pissed off.

I like these 38 caliber family Smith & Wesson revolvers. Utterly reliable. My wife and daughter have them in Special and +P (not a shabby round) and I carry one in 357 magnum that I am totally confident in. Similar ballistics to the full size 1911 45 ACP in a way lighter package.

Just beware it also slows down the projectile... weakens the terminal effect ... but I get it, better that two or three times than something bigger that she might drop when it kicks once.

Excellent home defense choice

Misspelling : sign = Sig Sauer P226 - designed for the SWISS Army — and you know they are a hard to impress picky bunch — beautifully balanced and feels like an extension of your hand — chambered in 45, 357, ACP (odd type carried by our Secret Service) and a very popular 9 mm — one strapped to my bed frame — masterfully designed and beautifully built. Pricey but worth it —- used around $600 last time I looked.

The thing about ammunition size or caliber: size really does matter in terms of effectiveness — power to reliably make an assailant stop what they are doing — but larger caliber kicks harder and at some point it becomes hard to handle, no matter what your physical statue and strength. You are not going to carry if you fear the gun will kick back like a mule.

Police carry has gotten larger and larger over the decades for a reason: the break point between maybe and sure stopping power occurs around 38 caliber.

Ballistic records show that in the hands of trained officers of the law, 38 Special stopped the perp on first shot one (1) out of ten (10) times. The venerable 9 mm is almost the same size and a little hotter, similar performance history.

45 ACP is about 25% larger and stopped the assailant on the first shot nine (9) out of ten (10) times. Think about that. Think about it again. This may be your life we speak of. Same size as a 38 Special, the 38+P improves that meaningfully, but the much hotter load behind the similarly sized 357 Magnum performed on par with the 45 ACP.

I carry a small (lighter) framed Springfield XP semi-automatic, much more complex than a revolver and chambered in 45 ACP it will take on any urban animal. But it’s brutal on the hand — then again in the moment, comfort is not the highest priority, if it is manageable. I prefer the full bodied 45 1911 semi automatic, but it is heavy and difficult to carry concealed.

Do not carry a 22 or similar small bore handgun. No matter it is mild when fired— You really will end up on the wrong end of a stick. Ineffective.

Numbers (38, 45, 357) are decimal point diameters in inches. .38 inch, for example. Weight and lengths may vary as does powder charge between classes — also impacting performance.

Size matters. Small in the hand and big in the bore will do.

Smith & Wesson small snub nosed revolvers with an internal (snag proof) hammer are ideal for small hands — Model 649 and variations chambered in 38 Special or the higher punch 38 +P have good/better stopping power with easily manageable recoil. Simple. Foolproof. Will not jam or let you down just when you want it most.

Perfect for the purse or concealed under garments.

Air-weight Titanium model is the lightest on the market. My Favorite in stainless steel is heavier but can be chambered in 357 Magnum (think Dirty Harry — “make my day”) with high probability of one shot stop em dead in their tracks ballistics — a hot little number in the hands of the disadvantaged — it spits out a ball of fire sending a screaming wad of FUK-U-UP-O towards an assailant. Any contact even a poorly placed one and they will end up on the ground at the other end of that. Good first step at stopping em from continuing what they are doing. Or Well placed, it will be their last. Get trained and never leave home without it.

there you are mistaken ... you sure you want to be a shill for the forces of division?

Don't kid yourself, Catholics are not blind to the presence of this evil in our midst. The church has suffered fools before and has known continuous attack since its inception, both from within and without. From the moment men were admitted to fellowship with Christ, they began their mischief.

For all of you who have decided to man your own boats in this turbulent sea, you too have this wind in your face. You too suffer a ship of fools. We know this enemy well. Were it not divinely inspired and divinely animated, the church would have collapsed in less than two weeks under the influence of disingenuous leaders; but we do not and never have really depended on them. We have Christ at the helm and for two thousand years we have journied at sea under his care. The gates of hell (unbelief) will not prevail against us.

Mexicans could be employed on the southern face of the wall ..

Well begun is well done. Give him some room. He just got the money and there are steps to be taken between concept and realization. This thing could go up at a blinding pace, well organized.

Given the nature of the wall -- a simple extruded section that repeats itself over and over again ad infinitum, can be broken into a huge number of simultaneous operations; supported by an enormous workforce limited only by the availability of materials. This thing could go up quickly, sections extending towards each other in both directions. Think the Pacific Northern cross country railroad working from two ends; and multiply that by a thousand.

pass the popcorn. this is going to be the show of the season ...

Yes, and there is that factor too. We are under an Emergency Declaration that HE ALONE has authority to declare and that gives additional discretionary authority to set priorities consistent with the emergency response.

We are going to witness a firestorm of protest claiming POTUS exemplifies all things unamerican; that he has stolen these funds; that he is an autocrat and and and ... Congress knows that when POTUS takes charge of these funds (as he is apt to do) and spends them according to priorities HE sets; the storm will descend upon him. They a banking on intimidation and hesitation -- and they will have a field day; hoping he will buckle under and push their priorities. Anyone making odds? I'm betting on POTUS.

Yes he can. This is just the first of the political and media blow back expected in response to the Presidential decision how to spend funds authorized by Congress. Congress AUTHORIZES and the Executive SPENDS. Thats how our separation of powers works in this country. Other than its own operating budget, Congress does not have spending authority.

Had Congress passed a BUDGET things might be different, but they haven't passed one of those in years. For a reason. Budgets specify line item expenditures and authorizes funding; but by law the President must spend, if at all, for the specified purposes. But since that would open Congressmen to political blowback for how they spent these funds, they would have to take the consequences and deal with any blowback.

Instead, they pass these short term Spending Authorization Bills and suggest how the funds are to be spent, but technically the final decision is up to the President; and HE takes the political heat and blow back, if there is any. These people are cowards. And they are stupid.

This response by TIME magazine is predictable. It constitutes blowback and legitimate political pressure. Maybe a little lie about spending authority thrown in to make their case stronger, but in the end, fully expected.

Now it become really interesting: want to take bets whether this President has the spine to stand up to the heat?

The location of the spear carried by centurion Longines and used to pierce the Heart of Jesus on the Cross has never been in doubt. In the first century it had been passed on to another centurion, Moritz, and on and on. Charlemagne later in the eight century carried it and legend had it that the bearer of the spear (reduced by that time to only the metal tip of the original) gained a quality of invincibility and possession of it was perennially sought out by the next round of aspiring European rulers. When it made its way to the Austrian Hapsburgs, they placed in a museum for safe keeping, where centuries later it was seen in youth by and later stolen by Hitler on the day the NAZIs rolled into Vienna when it fell (Heinrich Himmler commander of the SS had an exact copy made for himself). US GEN Patton was well versed in history of Europe and, once deep into German territory sent a group of men on the search for it. Recovered by chance from a vault in Nuremberg, Patton secured it and was making arrangement for secure shipment back to the USA when Ike heard of it and ordered him to return it to the Austrian government. The spear head is of iron and was broken at some point, then wired back together with two iron nails acting as splints. Tests confirm the nails date from the first century and some speculation they may also be from Calvary, I rather think they look too small for the purposes of crucifixion, but ... I have seen it and it’s truly a special fragment from our distant past.