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๐™Š๐™…'๐™จ ๐™‹๐™„๐˜พ๐™† ๐™๐™Š๐™ ๐˜ฟ๐™€๐™๐™€๐™‰๐˜ฟ๐™€๐™ ๐™Š๐™ ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™Ž๐™€๐˜ผ๐™Ž๐™Š๐™‰ Former Orlando Pirates captain Mbulelo Oldjohn Mabizela has picked Nkosinathi Sibisi as his defender of the season. Sibisi is nominated alongside his teammate Lebone Seema and Mamelodi Sundowns right-back Khuliso Mudau. #PSLAwards2026 #FARPost

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FARPost

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55,162 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 2 ะดะฝะตะน ะฝะฐะทะฐะด โ€ขvia X (Twitter)

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ะ—ะดะตััŒ ะฟะพัะฒัั‚ัั ะบะพะผะผะตะฝั‚ะฐั€ะธะธ ะธะท ะพั€ะธะณะธะฝะฐะปัŒะฝะพะณะพ ะฟะพัั‚ะฐ

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VIDEO | Former Australia World Cup-winning captain and Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting, if he sees PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer, is in the reckoning for the Indian T20 team as a serious contender to become India's next T20 captain and potentially replace Suryakumar Yadav in the future. "I think there are several contenders, but he's (Shreyas Iyer) one of the main contenders as far as Iโ€™m concerned. I think we saw at the start of the tournament just how good a T20 player he is and where heโ€™s at, both on and off the field right now." "I think heโ€™s a much more mature player than heโ€™s probably ever been in his whole career. I think heโ€™s completely on top of his game now. Heโ€™s probably a good example of what I was talking about earlier; itโ€™s really hard to maintain a high level of consistency through 14 games of cricket. There are going to be times when you have your ups and downs as an individual and as a team." "Iโ€™m pretty sure heโ€™ll bounce back in this last game that weโ€™ve got. If he stands up and makes a big score, then weโ€™re a good chance of winning the game." "Iโ€™ve been pretty vocal over the last couple of years that whenever India selects a team, and Suryaโ€™s not in it, Iโ€™m always very surprised. On the back of this IPL, Iโ€™m sure heโ€™s one name the selectors will talk about, not just to get back into the side, but also with the captaincy next to his name." "The thing about Indian cricket is that you donโ€™t just walk back into teams. Youโ€™ve got to put a lot of runs on the board and do it in a certain way. His season so far has been very impressive, and his captaincy has been excellent. I just think heโ€™s in that little sweet spot in his life and career where, if captaincy came his way, then I think heโ€™d make the most of it.โ€ (Full video available on PTI Videos -

Press Trust of India

93,319 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 2 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

Orbit College Statement Sparks Debate as Sundowns Fixture Controversy Grows A statement from the owner of Orbit College FC has ignited debate among football fans after he publicly acknowledged the role played by Irvin Khoza in the clubโ€™s promotion to the Premier Soccer League (PSL). Speaking about their historic rise to the top flight, the club owner said: โ€œWe owe Irvin Khoza for helping us get promoted to the PSL.โ€ While the comment was intended as a show of gratitude, it has quickly become a talking point across social media โ€” particularly among supporters of Mamelodi Sundowns . Many Sundowns fans are linking the statement to the recent controversy surrounding the clubโ€™s request to change their fixture scheduled for Tuesday. According to supporters, the acknowledgment of Khozaโ€™s influence raises questions about whether relationships within South African football administration could have played a role in the decision to deny Sundownsโ€™ request. Khoza is one of the most powerful figures in South African football. As chairman of the Premier Soccer League and owner of Orlando Pirates, his influence in the game spans decades. The situation has now created a wave of reactions online, with some fans calling for transparency in how league decisions are made, while others believe the issue is being blown out of proportion. Despite the growing debate, there has been no official indication that the fixture decision was influenced by anything other than league regulations. For now, the discussion continues among fans โ€” highlighting just how passionate and closely watched football decisions are in South Africa. Fan Question: Do you think Sundowns were treated fairly with the fixture decision, or should the league have allowed the change? โšฝ๐Ÿ‘‡ Adapt or Die #BlackMarcoSportsClothing #AdaptOrDie #Sundowns #Masandawana #PSL #AreyengMasandawana

BlackMarco Sports Clothing

28,429 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 4 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

Everytime you see the "Where is Kate Middleton?" and the conspiracies, smile my dears, because there is a greater implication here. After 5 months of public Bullying, Press pressures, Public Pressures and Palace pressures, NO ONE can tell you anything tangible about the princess; not the press, not the courtiers, no one. Prince William has indeed remained Catherine's Relentless protector and defender๐Ÿ”ฅ He has kept his promise to Catherine that โ€ขshe would have surgery in complete privacy; โ€ขbe in and out of the hospital in complete privacy; โ€ข Be back home to recover in complete privacy; โ€ข That he would take care of their children and handle everything while she focus on her recovery on complete privacy๐Ÿคฉ We are 5 months into 2024, and Catherine, as the Most High Profile future Queen in the World, has enjoyed a privacy that was not given to any other royal women or wife of an Heir apparent EVER in History. This is not thanks to the press; this is not even thanks to the Palace. It is because her Husband has refused to serve her on a platter and has not let himself be cowered by outside nor inside pressures on him to relent. As his mentor and Frmr Private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton already said of Him: "William was always someone of deeply impressive maturity[...] There are many examples of when I worked for William where it would have been very easy to take one route, but it wouldnโ€™t have been the honorable or the right thing to do; so he took the more difficult route."โค๏ธ Prince William proved his private secretary right indeed. He chose the most difficult path when it came to protecting Catherine because it was the right thing to do. The Easiest path would have been to give the press what they want: access to Catherine to take her pictures so they can make money of her and dissect her ad nauseam while she recovers. Instead, he chose to do the one thing that would anger them and bring their wrath on him: He gave them No access and No explanations๐Ÿ”ฅ William EVEN dared to take a mother's day picture of his OWN wife and children HIMSELF; How dare he..๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿคก The Fact is, Catherine has Privacy ONLY because Prince William held strong for his family to remain at peace during this time of turmoil. In 2012 during their Pacific Royal tour, Catherine was once again victim of the Press attacks and violation of her privacy when the french magazine, The Closer, published topless pictures of her while on vacation with William. The DM editor, Rebecca English, quizzed him about the situation and it was then that Prince William revealed that Prior to marrying her, he had given his word to her parents that he would protect her at all costs and take care of her; a promise he continues to stand byโค๏ธ Just this month, a friend of the RF revealed pretty much nothing to People Mag when he said that "Prince William is keeping his inner circle tight during a challenging chapter." The Source added: "He is not leaning on too many others"๐Ÿ˜ Another source closer to the Wales said: "The Prince of Wales is relying heavily on the "nuclear family unit" of his immediate family of five and Kateโ€™s supportive family: her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and her siblings Pippa and James"๐Ÿ”ฅ Who could blame him? He has to keep quiet since he knows everyone wants to know what he knows. So he is right to rely on the people who will never betray him nor Catherine: The Middletons. A daft post was asking "why are the Middletons not asking where their daughter is?" Why would they, Dimmy?๐Ÿคก They know exactly where she is and probably what she ate today. The Middletons have do not talk because they KNOW what is going on and are protecting their OWN Daughter, alongside William๐Ÿ˜ So when you see people asking where she is, remember that the Future King kept his promise to his Wife; and a Man who will keep his promises to his wife and children, will keep his promises to his country and to the Monarchyโ˜•๏ธ ๐Ÿ“นTokkianami

Canellecitadelle

371,653 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 2 ะปะตั‚ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

Every season, it seems like we have to say goodbye to a big name. This yearโ€ฆ well it looks to be at least 3 big losses - John Stones, Nathan Benjamin Akรฉ and Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva. Wow, what an insane amount this trio has done for the club. All starters in the treble season and theyโ€™ve won the lot. Letโ€™s start with Nathan Ake, he came from Bournemouth in 2020 for a fee of ยฃ40.4m - I mean at the time that seemed a lot for a back up centre back. He was steady, he was comfortable with the ball, solid at the back, some top blocks and some great last ditch tackles. But in 22/23 he was played at left backโ€ฆ and what on earth did he become? An absolute monster. ELITE 1v1 against any right winger. Unbelievable positioning and reading of the game. Even at times, getting forwards and he chipped in with some important goals. The best left back in the league that season. Whenever called upon, between his injury-stricken City career, heโ€™s been fantastic. Most recently in the Cup final against Arsenal where many thought heโ€™d be a weak linkโ€ฆ he was absolutely absurd. Wherever he goesโ€ฆ we wish him the best of luck. John Stones, wellโ€ฆ if injury hadnโ€™t been the main factor in his career, heโ€™d not only have a statue alongside Vincent Kompany, heโ€™d have one outside Wembley. The general, the most tactical defender the game has ever seen. Whilst over his decade at City, heโ€™s grown as a player and ironed out mistakes and just become an absolute Rolls Royce of a footballer, we can only speak about the treble season. The ONE season Johnny Stones managed to stay fit we won it all. Moving into the midfield and just bossing the park in every metric. Same number of dribbles completed in a Champions League final as Lionel fricking Messi? Unreal. General John Stones, definitely a fan favourite and we will be GUTTED to see him go. Thanks for everything Johnny. Finally Bernardo, Pepโ€™s little favourite, the one everyone picks on, now finally the senior figure, the captain, the DREAM for a Pep teamโ€ฆ heโ€™s the epitome of a utility player being able to do absolutely everything on a pitch with endless running and an undeterred passion for the club. He is a true City legend. A decade at the Blues, also a decade of thinking heโ€™s leaving in the coming summer. Well this year itโ€™s finally confirmedโ€ฆ Bernie will leave the Blues being the face, alongside Kevin De Bruyne, of Manchester City under Pep Guardiola. The way his game has evolved is unbelievable. Once the tricky little attacker we signed from Monaco ten years ago, now dropping between the centre backs and a tenacious little midfielder tirelessly fighting for the team all over the pitch. His availability sees him become the only player in the modern era to be in Cityโ€™s top 10 for appearances made for the club. He had everything on the pitch, and for City he was a fantastic little shithouse. But off the pitch heโ€™s always had our hearts. Serious and passionate yet funny and joyfulโ€ฆ Bernardo, it hurts to see you go. Thank you for everything. Seeing all these players leave us will be a pain in the hearts of all Blues, three fantastic servants to the club. Always welcome back to the Etihad, back home, back to the club where they won it all, we will welcome them back with loving arms. Bernardo Silva Nathan Akรฉ Christine Murumba Once a Blue, always a Blue ๐Ÿ’™

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‚๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐‚๐ซ๐ž๐ฐ

25,718 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 3 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

INF Kodey Shojinaga (Kansas Baseball) is an intriguing Sophomore-eligible prospect. Was outstanding as a true Freshman and hit .378/.421/.526 with 11 2B, 6 HR, and 32 RBIs. Also slashed .326/.396/.349 across 11 games on the Cape. Shojinaga was named Co-Freshman of the Year in the Big 12 and earned a Team USA invitation. Medium build at 5'10", 190-lbs with some physicality in the lower-half. Slightly open front side in the box with a normal handset. Holds bat horizontally over his back shoulder with the barrel pointed slightly back. Medium-high leg kick, but the stride itself is small. Little bit of a bat wrap, but he's consistently on time. Average bat speed. Hit over power profile right now, but Shojinaga has an advanced feel for the barrel and plus bat-to-ball skills. Last season, he sported a 93% overall IZ contact rate. Approach is sound, but sometimes chases down/away. Does a nice job of using the whole field and working inside the baseball. Would put a 55 on the pure hit tool. Sound defender at 2B with above average arm strength and makes the plays he needs to make. He has quick hands and some range in either direction. Shojinaga also has experience catching, and got some reps behind the plate this summer for Team USA. Will be interesting to see what it would look like if he focused on catching - actions need refining, but the arm strength is there. Shojinaga will need to really hit, and he's capable of doing so. This July, he profiles as a 5th-8th round pick.

Peter Flaherty III

17,308 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 2 ะปะตั‚ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

Why Are Al-Nassr Fans Demanding #AlNassrBoardOut? Why are the fans calling for saving the club through: #ุงู„ู†ุตุฑ_ุจุญุงุฌู‡_ู„ุชุฏุฎู„_ุงู„ุตู†ุฏูˆู‚ The Full Story โคต๏ธ Before diving into the details, attached to this post are statements from Al-Nassr goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi (who has been on loan to Al-Fateh), player Sadio Manรฉ, and head coach Stefano Pioli. All three address the same underlying issues and point to a shared concern. (Translated to English) We must not forget the statements of Castro (the former team coach) then and today. The Executive Committee, led by Raed Ismail and his all fellow board members and all executives, has performed poorly in managing the club for two consecutive years. They even lack an understanding of how decisions are made regarding a football club, despite the resources available to them from the PIF and the National Transformation Programs for the development project of the Saudi Football League, which is provided by the Saudi Ministry of Sports. This situation of #AlNassr is a waste of money, effort, and time, as well as the genuine talents dedicated to working with sincerity and passion. 1๏ธโƒฃ Marketing and Business Performance Al-Nassr, despite being backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has lagged significantly behind its rivals in terms of growth. According to the Saudi economic platform Maaal (link in comments), the growth rates of PIF-supported clubs over the past two years are as follows: Al-Hilal: 105% growth Al-Ittihad: 243% growth Al-Ahli: 222% growth Al-Nassr: Only 71% growth The disparity is stark, especially considering Al-Nassrโ€™s global appeal with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on the roster. After two years under the current board, the clubโ€™s commercial progress has been underwhelming. 2๏ธโƒฃ Administrative Instability The club has experienced significant administrative turmoil, marked by frequent changes in leadership and inconsistent decision-making. Over the past two years, Al-Nassr has seen: - 3 club presidents - 2 executive directors (with a potential third appointment looming) - 2 sporting directors, the most recent of whom lacks a clear vision for the clubโ€™s project - 2 coaches with conflicting tactical identities This lack of stability has hindered the clubโ€™s ability to establish a cohesive long-term strategy. 3๏ธโƒฃ Sporting and Operational Missteps The 2024 summer transfer window and pre-season preparations exposed critical flaws in the clubโ€™s sporting operations: Mismanagement of Player Contracts: The club terminated the contract of left-back Alex Telles, paying his full salary despite his eligibility to play in the AFC Champions League. This was a missed opportunity to utilize an experienced player. Poor Recruitment Choices: The signing of foreign left winger "Wesley Teixeira" to replace Sadio Manรฉ was redundant, as the team already had a player in that position. The squadโ€™s actual needs, such as a left-back or an additional midfielder, were ignored. Teixeira has seen minimal playing time this season. Similarly, the acquisition of right winger Gabriel Angelo to replace Anderson Talisca was unnecessary and failed to address the teamโ€™s tactical gaps. Failed Player Sales: The club attempted to offload Saudi right-back Nawaf Boushal but failed, resulting in his reintegration into the squad halfway through the summer camp. Substandard Pre-Season Camp: The summer camp was poorly organized, resembling a recreational outing rather than a professional training program. This led to widespread fitness issues and injuries during the season. Notably, during friendly matches, including a 4-0 loss to FC Porto in Portugal (available on YouTube), the team played in unfamiliar shirts and colors, further disconnecting from the clubโ€™s identity. 4๏ธโƒฃ Coaching and Tactical Misalignment In the 2024-25 season, Al-Nassr sacked head coach Luis Castro after just five rounds of the league and appointed Stefano Pioli. This decision disregarded the stark differences in their coaching philosophies and tactical approaches. The current squad was built to suit Castroโ€™s style, and Pioliโ€™s appointment has created a mismatch, as the playersโ€™ characteristics do not align with his system. (Too much hasn't been mentioned) These are just some of the details that can be mentioned here, while others can be observed up close. The situation is dire, and the stories are numerous, too many to be fully covered here. #AlNassr is not a place to learn the basics of club management, nor is it a place where corrective actions can be delayed under the pretext of governance or the involvement of multiple decision-makers. Everyone is complaining about the absence of effective management, the lack of transparency in decision-making processes, and the random decisions that reflect neither a clear understanding nor a well-defined plan. Unfortunately, some might believe that new signings for #AlNassr will solve the problem, but this is entirely incorrect. The administrative void and poor choices made by those working in the clubโ€™s football sector have proven beyond any doubt that the chances of future success are nonexistent! This is further evidenced by the fact that player deals will not change the narrative surrounding the story, as shown by Manรฉ's statement, Nawaf's story and statements, Talisca's story, Al-Ghannam, and others! This is a true story to tell, for true journalism reports, which you can dig deep and find, for you with all respect: Fabrizio Romano Santi Aouna Ben Jacobs Nizaar Kinsella ุนู…ุฑ ุงู„ุฌุฑูŠุณูŠ David Ornstein Nicolรฒ Schira Gianluca Di Marzio The Sun Football โšฝ A BOLA MARCA #ุงู†ู‚ุงุฐ_ุงู„ู†ุตุฑ_ูŠุงู„ุตู†ุฏูˆู‚ #ุงู„ู†ุตุฑ_ุจุญุงุฌู‡_ู„ุชุฏุฎู„_ุงู„ุตู†ุฏูˆู‚ #AlNassrBoardOut

ุบุงูŠุจ โ€”A

68,179 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 1 ะณะพะด ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

๐Ÿ“It began back in February as two emails in John Campbellโ€™s crowded inbox โ€” voices of former Destiny members whose courage lit the fuse for what would become a months-long journey into the world of Brian Tamaki and Destiny Church, ultimately producing the extraordinary Under His Command series. What came next was three months of almost full-time work, cautiously gathering interviews, one person leading to another, and an initial five-part series that revealed people left in darkness, feeling lost and afraid, convinced that the God they had been taught to love had been replaced by obedience to a man. In a piece written to accompany the series, Campbell describes tiptoeing into peopleโ€™s lives โ€” long, quiet phone calls with hesitant sources, missed calls that hinted at real danger, and a potentially at-risk woman who simply disappeared. He had to sit with people who were terrified of being discovered by the church, worried that speaking to him could bring retribution. Campbellโ€™s careful, human approach forms the backbone of the series, helping people find their voices again. At the heart of the story is a form of theology that has become a weaponised political instrument, with anger turned into a marketing tool. Campbell observes Brian Tamakiโ€™s weekly sermons becoming increasingly extreme and incendiary promoting far-right agendas โ€” messaging carefully repackaged for his predominantly Mฤori and Pasifika congregation, a message that, a professor in the series says, is sharply at odds with the history of those communities. From violent encounters with the public, to street marches where the flags of other religions and the rainbow community are condemned and ripped apart, the series shows how Tamakiโ€™s grievance is amplified into ritual and how young people within the church are being indoctrinated and primed to carry these grievances forward. But the series isnโ€™t just about spectacle โ€” itโ€™s about the people who lived through it, the losses they carry, and the small redemptions theyโ€™ve fought for. Te Ahi Wairua (not her real name) describes Destiny as โ€œa place of lostness,โ€ a phrase that resonated with many others, prompting them to share their own experiences with Campbell. Thereโ€™s also the powerful story of Wayne, a founding member of ManUp, who turned his life around through the program but walked away 10 years later when he realised that obedience to Brian Tamaki had replaced a direct connection with God. He speaks of his despair over ManUpโ€™s growing involvement in Destinyโ€™s increasingly angry and confrontational activism. If you watched the first season and felt uneasy, season two, released on Monday, digs deeperโ€” revealing the real consequences: children within the church being taught to march and chant before they understand its meaning, and the fallout from Rainbow Story Timeโ€™s defamation case. ๐Ÿฟ Essential viewing, season two of John Campbellโ€™s Under his Command is streaming now on TVNZ+ here: Please also take the time to read John Campbellโ€™s personal reflections on making the series; a link to the story can be found in the comments below. Ngฤ Mihi

Kelvin Morgan ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฟ

12,747 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 10 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

This is the worst one I've seen so far... In this video, we see the installation of six women to Mclean Presbyterian Church (PCA)โ€™s womenโ€™s board. In this clip, you will see thatโ€ฆ - They receive the same officer training. - They take the same vows as officers. - They served on all the same committees as the officers. - They come alongside the elders and deacons to assist them in shepherding the church. - They are nominated by the congregation and installed in front of the congregation in a Lordโ€™s Day service, and take vows. They don't list that they have a Board of Women on their website: Here's the full video: Here is the full transcript of the clip: "All right. Yeah. All right. Let's try, let's, all right, well, hey, good, good morning everyone. My name is Matt, and I serve as one of the pastors here. Uh, and the, the ladies standing before you this morning are our new members to our Board of Women. Uh, these, uh, individuals we're nominated by you, our congregation, around, uh, around the fall of last year. And they have gone through a rigorous training process, uh, where they've learned more about. Our doctrine, uh, the, the essentials of the Christian faith and, and what it is to, to serve and lead in Christ Church. Uh, our, our Board of women members go through the same training, uh, as our, as our elders and our deacons. And that's intentional because we believe that God has equipped all of our congregation, men and women to bless the church. And so these ladies bring an immense. Uh, set of gifts and skills and rich testimonies and lives of faith to bless our church family and our Board of women. You can see, uh, from the back of the worship guide that they serve on all of the committee, all the committees that our elders and deacons serve on, and they add a voice and a perspective, and they lend their gifts to make this church. Uh, as good as it can be. And so, uh, I'm gonna just say the names of the, of the, of the ladies joining our Board of Women. Uh, and you just give, give everyone a wave and then I'll ask the, the installation questions. So we have, uh, Ashley Nettles, faith Goodwin, Margie Watkins, Molly Odell, uh, Molly Preston and Rachel Moore. And, uh, congratulations on making it through the, the officer training. It is no small feat, and we are excited about, uh, about you, uh, coming alongside our elders and deacons to help shepherd and care for our church. So, I have these questions for you, and if you just want to respond in the affirmative, be great. So, first question, uh, do you believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as originally given to be the iner word of God? The only infallible rule of faith and practice. Do you? I do. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the confession of faith in the catechisms of this church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the holy scriptures? Do you, I do. Do you approve of the form of government and discipline of the Presbyterian church in America in conformity with the general principles of biblical polity? Do you. Do. Do you promise to serve on the board of women with love to God and a sincere desire to promote his glory in the gospel of his son? Do you? I do. Do you promise faithfully to perform all your assigned duties and to study the peace, unity, and purity of the church? Do you? I do. And do you promise to submit yourself in the Lord to the government of this church? Do you? So having affirmed all of these, these, uh, these questions, I now pronounce that Ashley Nettles Faith Goodwin, Margie Watkins, Molly O'Dell, Molly Preston and Rachel Moore have been installed as members of the Board of Women of McLean Presbyterian Church. Let me pray for you. Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are a great and good and generous God, and that you provide leaders for your church. I thank you for our Board of Women and, uh, all of our, uh, new members and our, and our current members as they seek to shepherd this church to better, uh, live for you in this time and place in which we live. I pray specifically for these new members, Lord, that you would bless them, that you would, uh, protect them from, uh, from the evil one and help them Lord to have lives of integrity and, uh, that they would faithfully, uh, execute all the duties that that come with serving your church here in McLean. We thank you, Lord, that they don't do this in their own strength, but they do this by the power of your Holy Spirit, which you've poured out richly in their lives. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, and the true shepherd and overseer of this church. We ask all these, all these things in his perfect and precious name. Amen. Can we honor and celebrate our new Board of women members? Thank you. You can return to your seat."

Michael Foster

168,880 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 10 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

โ€ก The Pacific Classic Result It was unfortunate that Nysos was scratched, but the result was interesting, with Fierceness, the 1.6/1 second-favorite, comfortably handling Journalism, the (overbet) 2/5 choice. That the odds of the remaining five runners ranged between 22/1 and 72/1, underscored the yawning gap in quality between the top pair and the rest. So it was clearly no surprise that the "also-rans" toiled in their wake. What was surprising, at least at first glance, was how well Fierceness appeared to handle less than ideal conditions. But on closer inspection, his trip was actually far less challenging than the vast majority of post-race takes have suggested. His having ducked in soon after the start, almost making contact with the temporary extension rail, could have been a disaster, but it wasn't, and its importance has arguably been overblown. I say that because it was not similar to the trouble that he had encountered early in some of his previous races, in that he was in his own space, and was neither bumped, constricted, nor otherwise intimidated by other runners. This is an important distinction, because the mental weakness that he had previously displayed was related to close encounters with other horses, and his ducking-in after the break did not fall into that category. Inexperienced horses may suffer from that type of self-inflicted event, but given a mature, experienced runner, they are almost always forgotten quickly, which was clearly the case here. The fact that it was a long race also helped to mitigate the event, as there was no need for the rider to panic, or feel pressure to make up ground immediately. It is even possible that the early ground loss actually helped Fierceness, as had he been drawn closer to the pace early, it could have rendered him vulnerable in the late stages of the race. At the same time, due to the inside post, and how the race unfolded, Johnny Velasquez, who has done such a brilliant job keeping Fierceness outside and clear of his rivals in his previous wins, was forced to make the best of racing inside of horses. I understand why some are tempted to argue that Fierceness displayed a new dimension, as there were no obvious signs of him having been intimidated, despite the inside trip. But while I am willing to consider the possibility that he has gained confidence, I remain skeptical of any significant change, in part because it would be highly unusual for a horse to overcome that type of mental weakness midway through its four-year-old season, and/or in its 13th start. I also remain unconvinced for more subtle reasons. First, Fierceness was never bounced around, and with the possible exception of the first turn, he was never forced to race in especially tight quarters. Secondly, the rhythm of the race, after the initial duck-in, was actually smooth, and therefore beneficial to him. To understand why the above points are important, consider that Fierceness was never, so to speak, allergic to racing inside, but was more likely to face contact, be squeezed into a tight space, or have his rhythm thrown off when breaking from an inside post. In contrast, when breaking from an outside post, JV has invariably been able to place him clear of the pack, and in a comfortable, stalking rhythm. Fierceness is also essentially a free-runner, with a "light" mouth, and as such performs best when his rider allows him to dictate his own rhythm and pace. That is why, for example, Johnny V was not at all responsible for his loss in the Breeders' Cup Classic, as he is not the type of horse that a rider can take a strong hold of in order to restrain him further off of the pace, as that would discourage him. And to the great credit of both JV and Todd Pletcher, they picked up on this early on, and have done a superb job mitigating the colt's limitations, and maximizing his potential. In the Pacific Classic, despite racing on the inside, Johnny V remained cool and calm, and gave Fierceness another masterful ride. He and the colt's connections did benefit though, as none of his rivals, either intentionally or not, tightened things up significantly, or otherwise disrupted his rhythm. In fact, quite the opposite. Having tracked comfortably through much of the race, and with space around him, Fierceness displayed his trademark spurt on the final turn. And while the pan shot may suggest that he slipped though a tight opening, it was more like the red sea parting, as the embedded head-on view illustrates. If you are able to view the full head-on replay, you will find that despite racing inside, Fierceness actually enjoyed quite a comfortable trip, after the eventful few strides. A more subtle indication that we were watching the same horse as in his previous races comes :12-14 seconds into the embedded clip. When he was about to take the lead, he cocked his head to the right, as if he may have been worried about the horse outside of him. He was able to draw away from that one so quickly that it was ultimately of no practical consequence, but I would say that it implies that he hasn't suddenly developed the heart of a lion. *** Two qualities that have been crucial to Fierceness' success are his tactical speed, coupled with the separation that he produces on the final turn of his (two-turn) races. His ability to take command at that crucial stage has served him very well, particularly in his narrow win over Thorpedo Anna, and it was again on display in the Pacific Classic. A big part of the reason why that move has been such an important part of his arsenal is that it typically allows his him to take a "breather", before digging deep in an effort to fend off any late dangers. I encourage you to watch the (pan) replay of the Pacific Classic, and focus on Johnny V from around the 3/8th pole to the head of the stretch, as he was sitting like the proverbial statue. So for at least a furlong and a half, Fierceness was on cruise control, while Journalism, his only danger, was under pressure to make up ground, in an attempt to simply reach striking distance. But with all due credit to Fierceness and his rider for having produced fine efforts in the Pacific Classic, was this really an exceptionally outstanding performance, or was it at least partly a reflection of his only serious rival failing to run his best? I'm inclined to argue the latter. Despite Journalism having produced an unusually good 3yo campaign, capped by three Gr. I wins, including a Classic success in the Preakness, and never finishing worse than second, there have been some lingering questions. One of them is whether he is actually as well-suited to 10f. as he is to 8-9f. races. Yes, he was beaten in his two previous tries over 10f. by Sovereignty, a better horse. But in each race he was able to gain first-run on that one, an advantage that is typically difficult to overcome, yet lost ground late to the winner both times, and to Baeza as well, in the KY Derby. Some have suggested that he may have a tendency to loaf when in front, but I haven't seen any compelling evidence of that. And such horses typically dig in when passed, in efforts to re-engage, which we haven't seen, at least overtly, from Journalism. He also drew away from his rivals late in his first three wins. Alex Evers made this interesting comment about the kickback in the Pacific Classic: "I've photographed racing for 20 years, I've never seen kick back knock a jockeys goggles off like this." Here is a link to his supporting photos, which are typically excellent: Could that have discouraged Journalism? I suppose that it could have been an impediment, but he is such a tough and honest horse, that I would be surprised to learn that it was a meaningful factor. By contemporary standards, Journalism has also had a busy campaign, having raced a touch over once per month since March, all but one of which in Grade I events, and four times well away from his home base. So it is possible that he is beginning to feel the effects of those races, and travels. I have also noted that from a Beyer figure standpoint, he hasn't really moved forward, and it's worth noting that in contrast to Sovereignty and Baeza, both of which were late (May) foals, Journalism was a February foal, and may not have had quite as much room to improve. I don't know why he lagged so far behind in the early stages of the Pacific Classic, or if there was any tactical intention behind it. I had previously suggested that it might make sense to ride him more patiently, a tactic that is sometimes adopted when there are questions about a horse staying a trip. But I didn't notice any improved late kick, so it's difficult to interpret the performance. Fierceness earned a 107 Beyer figure for his victory, slower than his best three races last year, and merely equivalent to his comeback victory in the Gr. II Alysheba at Churchill Downs, in May. That doesn't suggest that it was a particularly outstanding performance. Journalism was given a 102, which implies that the return to his home court did not catalyze any notable forward move. *** I would say that there is one relevant pattern that has emerged, namely that Fierceness has an apparent affinity for the faster, high energy return track surfaces in California. He has now contested three races in CA (Beyer): 1st Breeders' Cup Juvenile (105) 2nd Breeders' Cup Classic (111) 1st Pacific Classic (107) It's also interesting to compare the colt's first and last half-mile fractions in his effort in last year's BCC, and the PC, both contested at Del Mar over 10f.: BCC โ€“ :45 1/5 โ€ข :51 3/5 PC โ€“ :46 1/5 โ€ข :50 2/5 Predictably, he finished better in the PC, thanks to more manageable early fractions. But would a repeat of that effort be nearly sufficient to win this year's Classic? Given the various points noted above, coupled with Sovereignty's continued improvement, and seemingly bottomless stamina, I would be inclined to say no. And that's before even factoring Sierra Leone, Mindframe, Forever Young, et al, into the conversation. But setting aside all of the fine parsing, I'm happy to congratulate Repole Stable, and Fierceness' other connections, for having shipped to California, and for being rewarded with an exciting, winning effort. Assuming that the colt makes it to the Breeders' Cup Classic in good order, he should minimally add spice to the race, and who knows, perhaps even provide a serious challenge to knock Sovereignty off of his current throne.

Tinky

10,516 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 11 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

A teeny tiny notice before I proceed with my analysis. If you have a problem with either Cihan or Alya, don't bother reading. Because I don't take sides. I don't watch or think or write through the lens of Alya vs Cihan. Both characters are dear to me. And, if that's the way you roll, by all means, proceed. Analyzing Episode 36. Season 2 aka Of Strengths, Weaknesses, and The Last Nail in the Coffin Evvveeettt. Another episode, another meltdown. Just another day in the CihAl fandom. Ngl, it took me two days to even think about writing my regular analysis post, because the negativity was more potent than usual. Or maybe my resistance is waning, who knows? But that's not what we're gonna focus on today. This day, we analyze the words and actions of the heart and soul of Uzak Sehir, aka Alya and Cihan Albora. But we'll do so within the framework of strengths and weaknesses, because to me, that's what really comes to the fore in ep36. Alya Albora Alya Albora was especially heartbreaking this episode. And coming from someone who gets their heartbroken regularly because of Alya, that's saying something. The episode starts with the zombie-man opening his eyes (I think this PoS is just lying there pretending to be a vegetable, but that's for another time). And the look Alya has on her face when she looks at Cihan is indescribable. Almost as if everything inside her is pleading, 'Please don't regress back to where we just came from.' Because she fears, even as she tries to check on the zombie, that the closer Frankenboran gets to waking up, the further Cihan will drift from her. And, to an extent, her fears are proven right when Sadakat brings up divorce again. See, Alya doesn't come from strong family roots. She believes her biological mother abandoned her for most of her adult life. Then she has Caroline, who tries to fill all the empty spaces abandonment leaves in little Alya, but doesn't manage to succeed too much. As I've said before, Alya's primary fears stem from being abandoned and being a burden. That's what she tries to protect herself from. Those walls around her heart are in place to keep her from suffering that same pain again. That's both her strength and her weakness. While the fear pushes Alya to love harder, to push past difficulties, to rise from the ashes over and over, it also makes her more aloof. She doesn't find it as difficult as Cihan to leave behind 'family' ties because she's never experienced just how forceful those bonds can be. When it falls to her to choose between her love for Cihan and whatever she had with Boran, she picks the former without much guilt. But there's another factor that helps keep her from feeling much remorse for Boran, and that's the way her former husband treats her. Before Alya finds out about the will, her anger at Cihan is at an all-time high, and there's no question of any relationship developing between the two. After the will, however, that's a different story. So, when it falls to her to choose, she can do so easily, with her conscience at rest. And we see that so clearly in the way she announces she won't return to Boran even when he wakes up. Now, let's focus on the tricky bit. The weaknesses. Because Alya fears being a burden, being imposed on someone, adding to their strain, anything other than clarity can't help but raise doubts. When Cihan doesn't answer her question of 'Where will you stand?' with a clear with you or with you, distrust raises its ugly head. She starts asking herself if their relationship is what Cihan really wants now that Boran is back in the picture. She starts wondering whether Cihan will be able to shoulder the burden their relationship will add to his already weighed-down shoulders. It's harrowing to watch her be drawn to Cihan one instant, and pull back the next. Not because she doesn't love him, but because she can't bear to be another weight on Cihan's existence. That's what we see when she's shivering with fever. She wants him close, but she also doesn't want him to suffer. She keeps asking Cihan to leave, but he refuses to budge. And, that cures and hurts at the same time. For some reason, when she says, 'I'm also trying to find a way,' I couldn't help but feel that a part of her is already reverting back to the old Alya. The longer Cihan refrains from giving Alya a clear answer, the more her doubts grow. The more their 'impossibility' takes over her love. The closer she grows to wanting to leave. This time, if she attempts to leave, it won't be because her feelings overwhelm her. It'll be because she can't bear to see Cihan hurt anymore. Cihan Albora Oh boy. I can already hear the jeers of 'coward' and 'gavat' (which, by the way, I find to be a really ugly word) ringing in my ears. Well, fcuk that. Let's get back to our analysis. I talked about how Cihan seems to be stuck between suppression and surrender when it comes to his guilt. And, I did think that almost losing Alya would break that spell. But, clearly, that's not the road that Gulizar wants to take. Perhaps she does want it to come down to conflict. I'm not sure yet. What I am sure of is that Cihan is already aware of what he wants. And it's not wanting to be BFFs with Boran at the expense of Alya, guilt be damned. You can see it in the way his answers get bolder every time Sadakat asks him about a divorce. This episode is the first time Cihan states outright that the burden of 'conscience' isn't his to bear because he merely did what Boran asked of him. In other words, he didn't plan on falling in love with Alya, but it happened, and if there's any blame in that, it's not on him or Alya. Here's what irks most people. He doesn't ever talk about what he wants. It's always 'What if Boran wants this' or 'What if Boran wants that.' In other words, it's a form of misdirection on his part. He knows what's in his heart, but he doesn't want to say it out loud. Another scene where you can clearly see what his choice will be is when he's taking care of Alya during her fever. The more Alya insists that he leave, the more he digs in his heels. Until finally, he says, 'I won't allow anyone to hurt you, I won't allow anyone to harm you, and that's how it will be until I draw my last breath.' People don't say things like. 'That's how it'll be as long as I live,' if they're not sure about what they want. This is Cihan's strength. His love, protective instincts, and his code of sticking up for the people he loves. Unfortunately, like Alya, that's also his weakness. Cihan's been trained to fight for his family and his people to his very last. And, that's one HUGE reason why he can't verbalize what's already screaming inside his mind and his heart. We know he can't live without Alya, he says as much in the last episode. He keeps buying time because he knows once he states those words - there's no turning back. And he knows exactly how ugly things could go because dealing with ugly has been his entire existence. People won't be kind to him or Alya in the place where they live (think back to how Demir sends his goons to insult Alya's mom). And besides all that, what if Boran doesn't want to let go? That's when shit will truly hit the fan, because once Cihan says he's with Alya, he'll be fighting his brother, standing up to his mother, breaking his family apart, endangering Albora with internal strife, and worst of all, risking Alya and Deniz's safety. And remember, unlike Alya, who can control her conscience because of an extenuating factor, Cihan has no such relief. So, what you see is a man trying to survive an impending hurricane in a straw hut. He knows when that storm hits, and it will, things will go to hell. Besides all that, there is his stupid conscience that just won't shut the hell up because of that code of his. To me, that's not cowardice. That's a man standing at the edge of a life-changing truth, and being undone by the gravity of it. It's almost as if his soul is negotiating with reality, hoping to avoid collateral damage, while grieving for the version of himself he knows won't survive after he states his truth. As we can see in the scene where he and Alya are saying goodbye, they're already a family. His heart has already made the choice, so much so that in that scene, even Sadakat and Nare see the invisible bonds tying Cihan to Alya and vice versa. It's not a question of if, merely when. The Last Nail in the Coffin The question on everyone's mind is, what will it be? The last nail in the coffin of Cihan and Boran's brotherhood. The point of no return. To me, the way things are shaping up, there will be a clash. Will the showdown happen when Boran wakes up, or will Cihan learn the truth about his brother and finally be set free? I don't know. I've always had the inkling that Boran isn't what he claims to be. I guess we'll find out soon. But until then, I'll be watching. Gladly. For both my babies. Till next time, happy reading, y'all. #CihAl #Uzakลžehir

CocoLoco

51,123 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 8 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

Is Detroitโ€™s Poisoned Dirt a Flint-Level Crisis? The city demolished 30,000 homes under Duggan, and dumping unwanted toxic fill may have been standard procedure By Charlie LeDuff Charlie LeDuff How poisoned is Detroit, really? The city desperately wants you to believe itโ€™s โ€œjustโ€ 500 demolition holes that have been stuffed with toxic soil containing substances like mercury, lead, cadmium and benzene at levels too dangerous for human touch. If thatโ€™s not bad enough, consider that the true number of holes laced with carcinogens may be in the thousands most likely; tens of thousands quite possibly. Itโ€™s a human and environmental catastrophe on the scale of the Flint water disaster. And itโ€™s lays squarely on the arrow shoulders of former Mayor Mike Duggan and current Mayor Mary Sheffield. Over the past dozen years, Duggan has gone to extraordinary lengths to hide the crimes and incompetencies of his demolition program. When it was the subject of a seven-years-long federal investigation, Duggan went to Washington hat-in-hand to ask Biden to make it go away, which Biden did. Duggan hired the lawyer who represented the Clinton Foundation in its racketeering lawsuit to represent the City of Detroit, paying her $1,000 an hour. Duggan sued me and cajoled my employers to fire me, all to keep me quiet. It was all so sick. Now comes the scandal of Brian McKinney and his demolition firm Gayanga Co. McKinney was the black man hand-picked and nurtured by Duggan to demonstrate to Detroiters that the $500 million in federal and city demolition dollars was going into pockets besides those of Dugganโ€™s white cronies. Duggan even introduced McKinney the state of the city speech in 2020 as a model of minority contracting, even though McKinney had little experience in the business. After Michigan Enjoyer published an exposรฉ featuring whistleblowers who claimed McKinney was redirecting toxic dirt from the old Northland Mall demolition and dumping it into Detroit neighborhoods, McKinney was suspended by the Detroit Office of Inspector General for fraud, forgery, and breach of contract, among other things. Mary Sheffield, who was city council president at the time, helped change city procurement rules to get McKinneyโ€”an ex-con with ties to Kwame Kilpatrickโ€™s former right hand, Bobby Fergusonโ€”with lucrative contracts as โ€œthey were getting to know each other but werenโ€™t in a committed relationship while he had business before the City Council,โ€ as Deputy Mayor Brian White put it. Nevertheless, Sheffield continued to vote for tens of millions of dollars in work for McKinney. So now Sheffield is mayor. And now comes the revelation that McKinney was investigated back in 2022 for the very same crimes he is being investigated for now. A whistleblower who worked for his firm claimed then that McKinney had forged load tickets, claiming the dirt was from a legitimate source when it was actually contaminated soil diverted from other places like Northland and area landfills. The load tickets worked on an honor system, with no system built in to track the origin of the soil. It wasโ€”and isโ€”a take-my-word-for-it arrangement. No charges were brought against McKinney, since no corroborating witness would come forward. The OIG recommended then that the ticket system be changed to include receipts verifying the origin of the dirt, just as the U.S. Treasury had demanded back in 2017. In both cases, Duggan and Sheffield ignored them. But now whistleblowers who worked for McKinney have come forward. Since June, the OIG and the Detroit Police Department have conducted more than six-dozen interviews, issued a bakerโ€™s dozen of subpoenas, and seized mounds of financial documents. That investigation continues. The city demolished nearly 30,000 derelict houses under Dugganโ€™s crooked eye. For some perspective, thatโ€™s the near equivalent of demolishing every house in Flint. McKinney was responsible for 2,500 of those himself, and 80% of those that were randomly tested came back hot. So 500 holes may be just the tip of this Hindenburg. And the poisoning scandal is widening, Enjoyer has learned. It appears the bait, switch, and swindling of the city may have been standard operating procedure in Detroitโ€™s demolition world. Dirt from the freeways has been packed in the holes. Sometimes, the freeways themselves. There are whispers of a grand jury. Through it all, Duggan and Sheffield were warned. Yet they preferred the rosy headlines and boozy hook-ups rather than the mundane duty of protecting the publicโ€™s health. In the end, this debacle is Dugganโ€™s baby. He wants to be Michiganโ€™s governor but has dug a hole so deep it will likely bury his political legacy. As for Sheffield, she got caught in the quicksand. The handouts are over, and Detroit is broke.

Michigan Enjoyer

22,671 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 5 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

โ€œDeni Avdija is NOT the Problemโ€ I get it. You hate Jews, and therefore you hate Israel. You pretend itโ€™s only about Israelโ€™s actionsโ€ฆ and then you take joy in Deni Avdija getting his tooth chipped. You revel in Stephon Castleโ€™s blatant unsportsmanlike conductโ€ฆ but sure, itโ€™s just about Israelโ€™s actions. This has been the theme all season for Deni and the Portland Trail Blazers. Hell, even his teammate Jerami Grant wore a terrorist scarf (keffiyeh) before posting his teamโ€™s worst plus/minus in Game 1. So even the guys who are supposed to have his back are in on it. Just because heโ€™s Jewish. Not because heโ€™s Israeli, but because heโ€™s Jewishโ€ฆ and good. Thatโ€™s the main issue. If he sucked, people would still care, but there wouldnโ€™t be this murderous jubilationโ€”call it an October 7th emotionโ€”when he gets hurt. Youโ€™re enjoying someone getting hurt. Congratulations, youโ€™re evil. Evil like Spurs Culture, who shamelesslyโ€”and correctlyโ€”pointed out how Stephon Castle will gain fans for trying (and failing) to bully Avdija at the end of the Spurs win. (Jrue Holiday is a real DAWG and teammate.) Unsportsmanlike behavior gets applause and an increase in fandom because the target is Jewish and Israeli. This is the world we live in. Nothing is safe or sacred if youโ€™re Jewish and/or Israeli. Definitely not sportsโ€”the one realm where weโ€™re supposed to set our differences aside, or at least park them long enough to root for our team. Iโ€™m no fan of Jaylen Brown and his covert antisemitism (his silence on October 7th, followed by โ€œFree Gazaโ€ and backing a Holocaust denier is enough evidence for me), but Iโ€™m still cheering for him as the Celtics spank the 76ers. But Deni? Deni gets hate. Hate because heโ€™s Israeli. Hate because heโ€™s Jewish. And good. The hate ramped up this year specifically because heโ€™s playing at an All-Star level. Canโ€™t have a Jew playing good basketball now, can we?!?! But guess what; Deni is just the beginning. You think a good Israeli baller catches hate? Just wait for the Orthodox baller Chaim Galbut to light it up at Duquesne. And heโ€™s not alone in D1. Michigan has the first-ever Orthodox baseball player in catcher Elie Kligman. Jews and Israelis arenโ€™t exactly taking over, but we are destroying the stereotypes. And thatโ€™s how we win the real gameโ€”the game of life. We just keep going. But we do it while remaining tough. Someone chips your tooth on a dirty okay? Box out with high elbows. Shove a ball in our chest? Shove right back. Itโ€™s the Israeli way (and the American way): Donโ€™t start a fight, but make sure to end it. They might not like us. They might think weโ€™re the problem when weโ€™re not. And they might hate usโ€”Deni, Chaim, and Elieโ€”just for who we areโ€ฆ but theyโ€™ll fucking respect us. And thatโ€™s better than being pushovers. So no, weโ€™re not the problem. You are. And if weโ€™re gonna have a problem, bet (ืฉืœื). Welcome to the age of the New Jew, led by badasses like Deni.โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹ So go ahead and hate, weโ€™ll win in the endโ€ฆ thatโ€™s what weโ€”Jewsโ€”do.

Jake Donnelly

22,618 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 3 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

Analyzing Episode 42. Season 2 aka Of Thresholds, Truth, and Taking Sides It took a while for me to come out of the euphoria we all experienced thanks to ep 42, but I managed somehow. I had some questions while watching the episode live, such as how Alya and Cihan could just do the deed when, a few episodes ago, they were all about acting correctly. Or whatever happened to Cihanโ€™s pesky guilt? Or was this really the right time for the writer to bring in halvet? I watched and rewatched with those questions until I picked up a few details Iโ€™d missed earlier. Hopefully, this analysis will help clear out some cobwebs in your grey matter, too. So letโ€™s get to it. We start the episode with Boran watching Alya and Cihan dance with murder in his eyes. To say the zombie is jealous would be an understatement. He then marches on to the middle of the square, grabs Alyaโ€™s hand, and announces who he is to the whole wide world. He thinks heโ€™s all macho when he does that. Thereโ€™s a sense of puffed-up self-importance about him, like heโ€™s trying to prove how brave he is. Fortunately for us, his little bubble of boorish chauvinism goes โ€˜popโ€™ the minute Demirโ€™s little henchman fires a bullet at him. And thatโ€™s Boran for you in a nutshell. He thinks heโ€™s all that, but he really isn't. It reminded me of the scene where Cihan says he knew the instant Boran regretted k-wording Sulaiman because the seriousness of his stupidity had finally begun dawning on him, but by then it was too late. It also makes me think the zombie has serious self-destructive tendencies, combined with impulsiveness and resentment. This man is a recipe for disaster. Because think about it. He chooses visibility over safety, knowing it would unleash all kinds of hell, but does it anyway. He would rather burn everything than accept the hand heโ€™s been dealt with humility. This was Boran crossing over the threshold. Now, letโ€™s switch to Cihan. We all knew Ciho was going to jump in front of that thankless freak because of his hero complex (a side-effect of Sadakatโ€™s conditioning). But, I think Cihan saving the zombie this way also highlights his own nature and the narrative at large. Because with his protective gesture, Cihan makes it clear that he doesnโ€™t see Boran as a rival, he has no ill will in his heart for his brother, and that the right man was made AฤŸa because his protection isnโ€™t contingent on who he loves or likes (unlike the zombie). That responsibility and sacrifice have been bred into Cihanโ€™s very core is rather clear in this scene. It makes an excellent contrasting juxtaposition for the viewers between the two brothers. Both men make decisions in this scene, but the whys and hows couldnโ€™t be more different. Now, letโ€™s take a moment to go back to the questions I mentioned right at the beginning, relating to the halvet, Cihoโ€™s guilt, and the timing of it all. Upon rewatching the episode, I realized that what happens in this scene sets off why we end the episode with consummation. Just keep this in the back of your mind for a bit, as we cover the other parts. Another scene that caught my attention in untangling the theme of episode 42 is Alya and Cihanโ€™s talk after poor Yalcin has to extract yet another bullet from Cihanโ€™s person. Why? Thatโ€™s simple. It highlights Alyaโ€™s fear of losing Cihan. The way she points out the bullet could have pierced his heart, her telling him he needs to control his self-sacrificing tendencies, etc. I mean, Cihan keeps joking to get Alya to calm down, but the truth is, sheโ€™s very afraid. She loves Cihan more than her own life; we know that. But the lives they lead, the danger that always follows them, and Boranโ€™s dark presence keep hounding this woman day and night. In such a situation, would it really make sense to keep denying your true feelings when it could all end in a second? Nope. Thatโ€™s why I marked this scene as Reason no 1 of why the episode ends the way it does. The next scene that stood out to me in the scheme of characters choosing sides is, of course, the jail showdown. Thereโ€™s a popular opinion in the fandom that Sadakat is afraid of Boran, etc. I am not of that opinion. Because so much of Boran is Sadakat, and thatโ€™s very clear in this scene. Instead of accepting the blame for the clusterfuck of a situation heโ€™s created, the zombie blames Cihan. That reminds me of how Sadakat says she would never have threatened the nurse to give an innocent woman blood thinners if only Alya had agreed to leave. See? Itโ€™s never Sadakatโ€™s fault. Itโ€™s always someone elseโ€™s actions that force her to behave badly, blah blah. Like mother, like son. Not surprising. What was surprising was the way Cihan behaves because he makes it very clear heโ€™s picked a side (Next to Alya) and heโ€™s not budging. This is Cihan crossing his point of no return because, in other words, what he says is, appeasement and brotherhood before all is a thing of the past. And hereโ€™s the key to the โ€˜guiltโ€™ question. What Cihan observes of his brother, episode 39 onwards, probably makes him realize there will be no pretty way to make Boran let Alya go. Being the good brother and taking a step back wouldnโ€™t change Boran; it would just make Alya vulnerable. Then thereโ€™s the fact that Boran revealing himself endangers everyone, including Alya and Deniz, so restraint is also dangerous now. Finally, nothing helps cure Cihan of his guilt more than Boran being himself. We tend to glorify the dead. And nostalgia can warp more than clarify. When the series began, we met a Cihan Albora caving under the guilt of not being able to save his brother. Now, we see a Cihan who is slowly beginning to realize he idolized what never should have been mourned as innocence. Boranโ€™s actions help fracture his myth that the Albora siblings built in their minds. That helps free Cihan from a parasitic type of devotion, built on illusion rather than the truth. This is Motive no 2. Motive no 3 is when Cihan catches Sadakat in the act of trying to prey on Alyaโ€™s weakness - Deniz. Iโ€™m not saying Cihan sleeps with Alya because he wants to manipulate her into staying. But, in the overall scheme of things, I think Ciho recognizes that he can trust no one to look after Alya and Deniz, to keep them safe from Boran, except himself. I think he knows after that point that curbing his feelings creates a distance between him and Alya that leaves her exposed, emotionally isolated, and cornered. In other words, it leaves her weakened. However, choosing her fully, being with her body and soul, can become her shield. So, in a way, for both Alya and Cihan, intimacy morphs from being born of desire to also being about presence. And once they realize that, near the end of the episode, the line between waiting and giving in becomes rather faint. Now, letโ€™s talk about THE scene. Did you notice how the opportunity for consummation comes about? A blocked road. Thatโ€™s how. At the beginning of the episode, fate intervenes to kick-start a series of events that force all the characters out into the open, violence goes public, loyalties are divided, insights are achieved, and secrets are brought to light. By the end of the episode, fate intervenes again, with a blocked road that pushes Alya and Cihan into a space far removed from their family lives, scrutiny, and threats. The hand of destiny, it seems, narrows down their path, until only one direction remains: inwards, towards each other. What looks like an inconvenience is, in truth, another threshold. Another point of no return, for both Alya and Cihan, this time. So, why did Alya and Cihan finally give in to their feelings? In short, because it was time. Besides the boundless love they feel for each other, there were external factors pointed out throughout the episode. And then, they got the perfect opportunity and went for it. Still, was this really the right time for Gulizar to write about lovemaking? I think so. I think instead of trying to act correctly, for once, Alya and Cihan acted honestly. They went with their hearts. How will this play out in the future? Well, I donโ€™t know. But I sure as heck am excited. Till next time, Happy reading yโ€™all :D #CihAl #Uzakลžehir

CocoLoco

11,751 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 7 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

Zimbabwe Defence Forces role as political arbiter and power broker removed By Ruvimbo Muchenje The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF)'s role as the country's political arbiter, power broker and kingmaker is now being decisively removed, changing the country's political landscape and its volatile dynamics in the process. This will have far-reaching political implications as the Zimbabwean military has been a power broker for a long time due to sustained militarisation of politics and the professional bureaucracy, particularly under the late former president Robert Mugabe and subsequently President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The army's critical role in local politics dates back to the days of the liberation struggle, with the Mgagao Declaration of 1975 that paved way for the late former president Robert Mugabe to seize power in Zanu from Ndabaningi Sithole being an example of that influence. For decades, the army has been the ultimate political arbiter, bound by Section 212 of the constitution to defend both the nation's territorial integrity and "to uphold" the constitution, giving it authority to self-deploy under the guise of upholding the supreme law as it did during the November 2017 coup which first - ironically - brought Mnangagwa to power before he legitimised himself through subsequent elections in 2018 and 2023. However, Constitutional Amendment Bill (No.3) introduces major legal changes to the country's political, electoral governance architecture, most notably extending presidential and parliamentary terms, allowing parliament to elect the President, and subtly altering the constitutional mandate of the ZDF. The amendments currently going through parliament propose a critical, yet subtle change that is far-reaching. The words "to uphold" the constitution are being stripped away, replaced by a mandate to act simply "in accordance with the constitution". By altering the specific phrasing of the army's duties and allowing parliament to elect the president instead of through a direct popular vote, Mnangagwa's government is effectively clipping the militaryโ€™s institutional wings. Presenting his key second reading speech on Constitutional Amendment (N0.3) Bill to parliament on Wednesday after he had introduced the proposals to parliament the previous day, Ziyambi said the army must act "in accordance with the constitution", not have a special responsibility to "uphold the constitution" because "they are not a parallel constitutional authority". Ziyambi said: "I now turn to the function of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Clause 16. Clause 16 amends the words that describe the function of our Defence Forces, replacing the phrase, 'To uphold this Constitution' with the phrase, 'In accordance with this Constitution'. It has been suggested that this weakens the constitutional position of the military. The truth is precisely the opposite. The amendment strengthens the subordination of the military to the constitution and I want to explain why b ecause the point is important and it is widely misunderstood. Consider the question honestly. Either the Defence Forces are subject to the Constitution, or they are a core equal guardian of it, standing alongside the elected President, the elected P arliamen t and the courts. If they are subject to the constitution, as in every constitutional democracy, they must be in accordance with the constitution, which is the correct exp ression of that subordination and the old wording which cast the military as an ind ependent upholder of the constitution in its own right was the anomaly. The institution whose function is to uphold the constitution, is the elected and appointed civilian institutions. The President takes an oath to uphold it. Judges take an oath to uphold it. Members of this House take an oath to uphold it. The Defence Forces protect the nation within the constitutional framework that those civilian institutions uphold and interpret. They are not a parallel constitutional authority."

TheNewsHawks

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When Judge Napolitano asked me on his show how Syria ended up with Abu Mohammed al-Jolani as its โ€œpresident,โ€ I could almost hear the cognitive dissonance on the other side of the screen. How does a man who was once the emir of al-Qaeda in Syria, a co-founder of ISIS by any reasonable historical reading of his trajectory, become Washingtonโ€™s chosen man in Damascus? For me, the answer is not a mystery. It is the logical end of a dirty war that began not with Syrian protesters in 2011, but in an American-run prison camp in Iraq years earlier. And if anyone still suspected this was โ€œjust a conspiracy theory,โ€ a former CIA officer โ€“ John Kiriakou, who went to prison for exposing CIA torture โ€“ has now said publicly what many of us have long argued: Jolani is, in all likelihood, a CIA asset. Letโ€™s start with the timeline, because the timeline alone already screams โ€œintelligence operation.โ€ Abu Mohammed al-Jolani was in a CIA-run prison in Iraq โ€“ Camp Bucca โ€“ alongside another familiar name: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Both men were released in early 2011. โ€œCoincidentally,โ€ that is exactly when the regime-change war in Syria begins. Within weeks, Baghdadi goes on to lead what becomes ISIS, and Jolani crosses into Syria to found Jabhat al-Nusra โ€“ officially al-Qaedaโ€™s franchise in my country. Washington designates Nusra a terrorist organization. The UN follows suit. On paper, Jolani is the enemy. The State Department even slaps a $10 million bounty on his head. But bounties are cheap. Cruise missiles are expensive. And for over a decade, while the US flattened cities in Iraq and Syria allegedly to fight โ€œterrorism,โ€ it somehow never found the time, or the coordinates, to seriously target Jolani or his core command structure, even though he controlled large swaths of Syrian territory from Aleppo countryside all the way to Idlib. Because Jolani and his men were fighting the one government Washington had already decided must go: the Syrian state under Bashar al-Assad. This is where Operation Timber Sycamore comes in: a multi-billion-dollar CIA covert program that funneled weapons, money, and training to so-called โ€œrebelsโ€ in Syria. They were sold to Western audiences as โ€œmoderate opposition.โ€ On the ground, those moderates were a disappearing species. What existed in reality were hardline Salafi-jihadist factions, with Nusra at the top of the food chain. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) was the mask, the logo on the paperwork, the brand name you could sell to Congress and CNN. The real muscle on the ground was Jolaniโ€™s men and other takfiri groups, who did the actual fighting, took the actual territory, and imposed their version of rule. Weapons went โ€œto the moderates.โ€ The moderates magically handed them to al-Qaeda. Everyone in Washington pretended to be surprised. No one stopped the pipeline. Over the years, the mask slipped. US officials themselves began to speak of Jolani as something more than just a former enemy. James Jeffrey, Washingtonโ€™s former envoy to Syria, openly called Jolani โ€œan assetโ€ for US strategy โ€“ not my word, his. Robert Ford, the former US ambassador to Syria, has publicly admitted that he personally worked with Jolani to โ€œtake him out of the world of terrorismโ€ and polish him into a politician. Think about what that means: the same US that claims to be fighting an endless war against al-Qaeda quietly devotes diplomatic energy to rehabilitating the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda into a partner, a useful strongman, a future head of state. I said on the show, and I repeat it here: I believe Jolani was recruited in Camp Bucca. The timeline makes no sense otherwise. You donโ€™t walk out of an American-run prison and, weeks later, magically have the networks, the money, the arms, and the logistical capacity to found al-Qaeda in Syria, right at the moment when Washington and its allies need a battering ram against Damascus. Recently, former CIA director David Petraeus even sat with Jolani and told him, โ€œYour success is our success.โ€ What more do people need? A signed employment contract? But letโ€™s assume, for a moment, that you still think this is a stretch. Enter John Kiriakou. Kiriakou is not a YouTuber chasing clicks. He is a former CIA officer who went to prison because he exposed the torture program and named the torturers. His loyalty is clearly not to the Agencyโ€™s PR department. Recently, on Unfettered Speech, he described the Jolani situation bluntly. Here is the essence of what he said, which Judge Napolitano played on air: -The โ€œnew presidentโ€ of Syria is a former al-Qaeda member and a co-founder of ISIS. -This same man is welcomed at the White House. -Senior US officials, including the Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East, travel to meet him. -President Trump suddenly lifts sanctions on Syria as Jolani consolidates power, prompting Syrians โ€“ desperate and exhausted โ€“ to dance in the streets. The only thing that makes sense is that Jolani is a CIA asset, per Kiriakouโ€™s. When a former CIA officer who has already sacrificed his career and freedom to tell the truth looks at the pattern and says, โ€œThis is our guy,โ€ it is not a conspiracy theory anymore. Now, you may ask, why would the United States and its allies back such a man? The answer lies in what Syria used to be, and what it has now been turned into. Before this war, Syria, for all its flaws, was a horizontally integrated state. People identified themselves as Syrian first and then Armenian, Druze, Christian, Alawite, Sunni, Shiโ€™a, Kurdish, and so on. The stateโ€™s foreign policy aligned with Iran and Hezbollah, supported Palestinian factions, and kept a real deterrent posture toward Israel. For Washington and Tel Aviv, this was unacceptable. The goal was not โ€œdemocracyโ€; that word is just wrapping paper. The real objective was to remove a government allied with Iran and replace it with a fragmented landscape: a weak central authority in Damascus, surrounded by sectarian cantons and warlord enclaves, all dependent on foreign patrons. Jolani is perfect for this role. For Israel, he brings vertical division. A man with a long al-Qaeda pedigree ruling Syria is a nightmare for minorities: Christians, Druze, Alawites, Shiโ€™a, many Kurds, and other smaller communities. They will not accept al-Qaeda rule. So they retreat into their own militias, their own cantons, their own de facto mini-states, exactly in line with old Israeli strategic doctrines like the Yinon Plan, which openly advocated fragmenting neighboring states along sectarian lines. On the ground, we already see it: -Druze militias running their own affairs in the south with quiet Israeli backing. -Kurdish forces in the northeast under US protection, managing their own autonomous zone. -Alawites discussing an autonomous coastal enclave. -Christians living in silence and fear. You donโ€™t need formal borders on a map to balkanize a country. When I, as a Syrian of Armenian origin, stop thinking of myself as Syrian first and start thinking purely as Armenian, when I instinctively fear my neighbor because he is from another sect, the balkanization has already happened in the mind. For Washington, Jolani is equally โ€œuseful.โ€ He has promised to normalize relations with Israel, to open Syriaโ€™s markets to Western capital, and to hand over the countryโ€™s resources from the hydrocarbons east of the Euphrates to the gas fields under the Mediterranean to American and allied companies. A 24-million-person country reduced to a reconstruction market: $300 billion worth of contracts, infrastructure projects, and โ€œinvestments.โ€ But for investors to feel safe, they need a strongman in Damascus who can project the illusion of stability while remaining utterly dependent on foreign protection. That strongman, in their design, is Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. But Jolani is not acting alone. Around him is a constellation of Western intelligence veterans and โ€œconflict resolutionโ€ NGOs acting as intermediaries. British MI6 circles, under figures like Jonathan Powell โ€“ former chief of staff to Tony Blair โ€“ are central in managing this process. Powell runs an organization called Inter Mediate, which specializes in โ€œtalking to armed groups.โ€ Behind the humanitarian language lies political engineering. One of Inter Mediateโ€™s operatives, a woman named Clare Haigh, is now said to have an office inside the Syrian presidential palace, advising Jolani on how to talk, how to dress, how to handle journalists, how to sell himself as a reformed jihadist turned statesman. And then there is Qatar. Ahmed Zaidan โ€“ once Osama bin Ladenโ€™s favorite journalist, photographed sipping tea with him and broadcasting his tapes on Al Jazeera โ€“ is now a personal adviser to Jolani. Make it make sense. An al-Qaeda emir, handled by US and British intelligence veterans, advised by bin Ladenโ€™s favorite media man, massaged by Western PR consultants, welcomed in Washington, and crowned in Damascus as โ€œpresident.โ€ If you wrote this as fiction, an editor would tell you itโ€™s too on the nose. Since Jolani took power through an international and regional deal that pushed Assad aside, over 11,000 people have been killed. Many of them are from the very minorities the West loves to mention in speeches but abandons in practice. Videos circulate of his fighters asking terrified villagers at gunpoint, โ€œAre you Muslim or not?โ€ and executing those who give the โ€œwrongโ€ answer, including Druze and Alawites who are not recognized as โ€œtrue Muslimsโ€ by their extremist ideology. Christians, who had already suffered massive emigration between 2011 and 2024, are being squeezed further. They have no organized armed force, no foreign sponsor. They are expected either to live under the mercy of an al-Qaeda-bred regime or to leave the land of their ancestors. This is what Washingtonโ€™s โ€œasset managementโ€ looks like in human terms. If you are an American reading this, you might be tempted to say: โ€œThis cannot be. My government would never knowingly empower al-Qaeda.โ€ But it already has, repeatedly. From Afghanistan in the 1980s, when US intelligence backed the Mujahideen (and, indirectly, their Arab foreign fighter allies), to Libya and Syria in the last decade, where jihadist factions were instrumentalized against secular or nationalist governments, the pattern is clear. The names and acronyms change. The logic does not. The same establishment that lectures the world on โ€œdemocracyโ€ and โ€œhuman rightsโ€ is perfectly willing to install a man like Jolani as the ruler of one of the oldest civilizations on earth, as long as he delivers strategic gains: -breaking the Iranโ€“Syriaโ€“Hezbollah axis; -fragmenting Syria into weak, controllable pieces; -opening its resources and markets to Western and Gulf capital; -and giving Israel unprecedented strategic depth and security. Everything else โ€“ the massacres, the ethnic cleansing, the collapse of national identity, the destruction of ancient communities โ€“ is treated as collateral damage. I am often asked what Syria will look like in five or ten years. I wish I could answer with optimism. Right now, the forces pushing to turn my country into a permanent vassal state โ€“ ruled by a former al-Qaeda emir, policed by foreign intelligence, exploited by foreign capital โ€“ are incredibly strong. But nothing in this region is permanent. People who come to power by cutting off other peopleโ€™s heads often lose their own. If there are still sane voices left in Western politics โ€“ people like Tulsi Gabbard ๐ŸŒบ, whom I mentioned on air โ€“ they must at least recognize this insanity: backing an al-Qaeda emir as โ€œour man in Damascusโ€ is not just immoral; it is ultimately self-destructive. Syria does not need Jolani. The West does not need Jolani. There are Syrians who can have friendly relations with the United States without being former al-Qaeda commanders, without murdering their own people, without turning an ancient nation into a laboratory for extremist social engineering. The question is not whether such alternatives exist. They do. The question is whether Washington and its allies want a sovereign, stable Syria, or whether they prefer a shattered, cantonized carcass kept alive just enough for the next โ€œassetโ€ to feed on.

Kevork Almassian

176,233 ะฟั€ะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะพะฒ โ€ข 7 ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด

John James Wants to Bring Manliness Back to Michigan The candidate for governor didnโ€™t miss a target as we unloaded clips and talked about the crisis facing our stateโ€™s young men By Jay Murray (Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean)) Brighton โ€” Under the canopy of the Livingston Gun Club, Rep. John James (John James) took part in one of the manliest feats left: shooting gunsโ€”a lot of gunsโ€”and having fun doing it. James, currently running for governor, joined me on the range for an afternoon of target shooting, ball-busting, and even a little sports talk. Jamesโ€™s authenticity is apparent within moments of meeting him. Heโ€™s not a politician, at least not in the off-putting salesmen way. Heโ€™s a regular guy who happens to be a politician. A father, military veteran, and businessman, James has cut a path away from the carefully modulated drones weโ€™ve come to expect over the last couple of decades in Michigan. He dropped no workshopped political platitudes finely tuned for the campaign trail. Rather, I felt like Iโ€™d escaped the normal workweek routine to hang with a lacrosse dad who knew who his top targets were in fantasy football. Yeah, we talked a little politics, but only after James mentioned his excitement for the upcoming Detroit Lions season and his amazement with the Detroit Tigers. โ€œWe got four professional sports teams that all matter right now,โ€ he said before breaking down the Lions receiving core. (He thinks Michigan native Isaac TeSlaa will be the No. 3 receiver.) A hardcore politico might find dude-bro normalcy like this unusual. I found it refreshing. โ€œIโ€™m rusty,โ€ James said before picking up an AR-15 and hitting dead center on several targets. Turning to those around me, I let slip out of the side of my mouth โ€œThe fโ€” is this guy talking about?โ€ as he kept nailing targets. The congressmanโ€™s smile might be key to paving his path to Lansing. He seems to be enjoying himself, with a clear optimism for culture-change in Michigan. โ€œItโ€™s okay for men to have fun. Itโ€™s okay for men to go shooting and to enjoy their second amendment rights,โ€ he said. That perspective might find broad approval with voters, and particularly with working-class men whoโ€™ve felt the weight of a frowning liberal culture and feminized institutions, from the governorโ€™s office on down to school boards and human resource departments. Many male voters in Michiganโ€”often uninterested in politicsโ€”just want to be left alone to blow off some steam. They want to shoot guns, dip chew, tell politically incorrect jokes, and drop F-bombs without anyone wagging a finger. James picked up a tactical shotgun with a 20-shell clip and didnโ€™t miss a target. I was getting nervous. This โ€œrustyโ€ congressman was hitting everything in sight, claiming he hadnโ€™t shot on a course in years. I better not shit the bed. Quickness might be the game for John James as he ramps up his campaign for governor, and his work is cut out for him. But he has several advantages and an eye on a key issue. James is a 44-year-old โ€œXennialโ€ born and raised in Metro Detroit, part of the demographic most hobbled by Democratic policies and agendas during the last several years. Keenly aware that Michigan has a crisis of male hopelessness, he was sharp and to the point: โ€œMichigan needs a culture change to get men motivated and back to work. Too many men not leaving for work in the morning, too many men with idle hands.โ€ Exploring this current tragic cultural phenomenon, but again with optimism, James said: โ€œMany men are feeling depressed, suffering addiction, and unmotivated.โ€ He mentioned a friend who didnโ€™t finish high school, was addicted to drugs, briefly imprisoned, and only found help through a small business owner who motivated him to pull his life together and become a successful entrepreneur and family man. James fits the image for what male voters are starving for after years under the thumb of the high-heeled limousine liberals: an alpha male who looks like a 1980s action star. Built like a member of Arnoldโ€™s team in โ€œPredator,โ€ James looks like a dude young male voters should want to emulate, and can imitate. When asked if he played football in high school, James responded that he played rugby. Knowing the roughness of that padless sport, I couldnโ€™t help but reply, โ€œNo shit.โ€ โ€œI need to do this more often.โ€ he said, admitting he went shooting the previous day with his sons to get the feel back since his Army days. With the 2026 primary cranking into high gear, Jamesโ€™s best advantage likely resides with the suburban male voters. In anticipation of my range day with the congressman, I queried most every hockey dad I could muster in Metro Detroit on the current gubernatorial field. Nobody had anything good to say about Jocelyn Benson. In fact, I wonโ€™t even repeat the comments. Even my Democrat friends took a hard pass. Most were weary of Mike Duggan, the current mayor of Detroit, with several guys mentioning a โ€œstink of corruption.โ€ Former Attorney General Mike Cox elicits shrugs, though several guys were aware of his campaign and connections to Livonia. But all of them were aware of John James and gave takes only sports dads can drop: โ€œHeโ€™s the helicopter pilot.โ€ โ€œHeโ€™s the jacked muthafโ€”er.โ€ โ€œI saw him at Laurel Park Mall once. I wouldnโ€™t want to fโ€” with him.โ€ The best response was the simplest: โ€œHe looks like one of us.โ€

Michigan Enjoyer

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๐ŸšจWARNING: UTAHโ€™S DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS NOW THE SOMALI TAKEOVER MACHINE SON OF SOMALI IMMIGRANTS LIBAN MOHAMED - CANDIDATE FOR U.S. CONGRESS IN UTAHโ€™S 1ST DISTRICT - BRAGS: โ€œJOIN THE 50 REFUGEES WE GOT ELECTED AS DELEGATES.โ€ As I warned after Omar Fateh and Ilhan Omarโ€™s endorsementโ€ฆ 27-year-old Somali Muslim Liban Mohamed, son of Somali immigrants from the very community openly bragging about โ€œtaking over slowlyโ€, just pulled off a stunning upset at the Utah Democratic Party state convention on Saturday. In a crowded field, he won the endorsement of a majority of Democratic delegates after multiple rounds of ranked-choice voting, beating former U.S. Congressman Ben McAdams (51% to 49%). This is the grassroots radical base speaking loud and clear. ๐ŸšจAnd in his victory video he openly bragged: โ€œIโ€™m asking each and every one of you to join us - join the 50 refugees that we got elected as delegatesโ€ฆ Itโ€™s time for us to lead. On June 23, we are going to win. Letโ€™s go!โ€ Fifty refugees. Hand-picked. Elected as delegates. Now controlling the Utah Democratic Party apparatus in the new 1st Congressional District. Utah, this is exactly what Obama and Eric Holderโ€™s redistricting machine was designed to do. They couldnโ€™t flip your red state at the ballot boxโ€ฆ so they sued, activist judges tossed the GOP map, and packed the brand-new 1st Congressional District with liberal Salt Lake County, instantly turning a +20 Republican seat into a Democrat-friendly stronghold. The same NDRC/All On The Line operation Obama funded after leaving office is now paying massive dividends in the heart of Mormon country. And now the imported Minnesota DSA Somali machine, the one that installed Ilhan Omar and turned Minneapolis into Somalistan, is flooding into Utah to finish the job. Liban Mohamed is their perfect vehicle: running on the full far-left nightmare platform, abolish ICE, open borders amnesty, Medicare for All socialism, housing as a โ€œright,โ€ $20 minimum wage, Equality Act takeover of bathrooms/sports/schools/shelters, and โ€œgenocide in Gazaโ€ rhetoric. This is not organic. This is demographic conquest + judicial map-rigging + ideological colonization happening in real time. Utahns, especially Latter-day Saints, you chose โ€œkindness.โ€ You opened your borders and your state to mass Somali refugee resettlement. You let a 10,000+ strong Somali Bantu Muslim community grow rapidly in Logan, Ogden, and beyond, pocketing $5.7 million+ in federal grants while steering kids toward the full Islamic โ€œdeen,โ€ building mosques, and hosting community takeovers. Your leaders rolled out the red carpet with Iftars. Your own Church has been donating $25,000 of your tithing dollars to build every new or expanding mosque, including Utahโ€™s largest mega-mosque. This โ€œkindnessโ€ with no reciprocity is now biting you โ€” hard. Your reddest stronghold is being transformed from the inside while your own tithing money funds the infrastructure and Obamaโ€™s map-riggers deliver the seats. This is exactly how itโ€™s happening in red states across America: Import the voters โ†’ change the demographics โ†’ rig the maps in court โ†’ install the radicals โ†’ watch your culture dissolve. The โ€œMormon stateโ€ is on the fast track to becoming the Little Somalia of the Rockies. No more surrender. No reciprocity. Fight back. Share this far and wide, and keep your eyes on the June 23 primary. The battle for Utah has begun.

Amy Mek

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