DROWNING HURRICANE VICTIM RELIEVED AS RESCUE CHOPPER DROPS $750 CHECK
ASHEVILLE, NC — A hurricane victim struggling to keep his head above flood waters was relieved when he heard the sound of a rescue chopper overhead that brought him much-needed relief when it dropped a $750 government check.
The desperate man looked up, his eyes stinging from debris kicked up by the helicopter's roaring blades, and was overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude as he snatched the fluttering $750 check out of the air.
"Finally!" he said. "Now I won't drown. I'll be able to — replace one of my couches, I guess."
The helicopter promptly departed, presumably to deliver checks to others in danger of drowning.
"Hey, wait! I can help you pass out checks!"
But it was too late; the government official was busy. He had more checks to pass out and little time to do it.
"It's a tough job," a FEMA employee who graciously volunteered to pass out checks via helicopter said later. "We've got to be quick before these people drown. They need these checks. This $750 will fix everything."
The man from the harrowing story above was later identified as William Thumpridge, an Asheville native who taught at the elementary school. He survived, and he owes it all to the check.
"Sure, it won't be enough to replace my home, but it was just barely enough to cover the cost of a meal at Five Guys. I never get to go there because it's so expensive but today, thanks to the government, I can eat like a king. A king who likes bacon cheeseburgers."
At publishing time, William Thumpridge was dismayed to learn that the nearest Five Guys had been swept away in the flood.
- Babylon Bee reporting.
HALF-FULL REPORT 10/04/24
This is a genius move. At the very site of the first assassination attempt, Trump returns to the Mother of All Rallies tomorrow (10/05) to ensure the vote for him in the biggest swing state will be on steroids. The excitement will be on steroids too with what’s being called The Badass Team:
There’s so much more. You’re going to love this HFR. Jump right on in!
THE FORTRESS OF LUXEMBOURG
Originally built upon Roman fortifications on a rocky promontory in the 900s by the Counts of Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Fortress gained strategic importance located between the French Kingdom and the Hapsburg Empire. By the 1600s it became so impregnable it was called the “Gibraltar of the North.” It was fought over by so many armies that finally, in establishing the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg’s full independence and neutrality in 1867, Luxembourgers agreed to tear it down.
What you see here is what is left, and is now a World Heritage Site. The Chemin de la Corniche – the promenade along the top of the ramparts overlooking Alzette River and the Old City – is renowned as “Europe’s most beautiful balcony.”
Wedged between France, Belgium, and Germany, small 1,000 square-mile Luxembourg is a haven of peaceful beauty. Come here to stand on these ramparts to experience it yourself. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #233 photo ©Jack Wheeler)
SKYE’S LINKS 10/03/24
Then John Kerry surprises us by actually saying the Truth out loud. Elon and Schweizer give us some somber warnings about the coming election; more truth leaks out about that villain Fauci; and then there’s good news about voters.
Jack Smith pulls a real yawner of an October Surprise (really, could anyone be surprised, at this point, by any idiocy he presented?)
We end with news about FEMA that I’m sure you will find infuriating. I certainly do. But then we’ll close with a great meme – I hope you enjoy it.
It looks like Tim may be a pathological liar:
Nolte: Tim Walz Lied About Being in Hong Kong During Tiananmen Square Massacre
AMERICA FINALLY GOT TO SEE THE REAL JD VANCE
There was one objective for JD Vance last night: introduce himself to American voters who only know him through the media they follow.
They’ve heard he was “weird.” They’ve seen memes where he called women “childless cat ladies.”
They’ve seen one picture after another demonizing, mocking, and attempting to invent a cartoon character of their version of JD Vance.
In other words, they’ve dehumanized him.
Well, they all have dripping, icky, rotten egg on their faces today after JD Vance’s masterful debate performance, one that will easily make and define his political career and go down as one of the all-time best debate performances in history.
So yeah, the Democrats should probably be very worried about JD Vance, not just for this election but for the MAGA of the future. Trump chose wisely.
Vance has learned a thing or two from battling a hostile press. Walz has avoided them and it showed last night. He did what Biden did - he stared with a terrified look on his face as Vance spoke.
But for Vance, there isn’t a nasty question he hasn’t already had to answer at least ten times. If you’ve been watching his press conferences as I have, you already know he can handle them.
He was born to do this. You can tell when he’s about to give a really good answer because he blinks very slowly to show he’s tolerating their terrible question as he locks and loads.
THE TREE OF JESSE
The Igreja de São Francisco (Church of St. Francisco) was built 800 years ago on a ledge overlooking the Douro River in Porto, Portugal. 500 years later in the early 1700s, the people of Porto devoted themselves to making its interior supremely magnificent.
Most breathtaking is the polychrome wood carving depicting The Tree of Jesse springing from the reclining body of Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David, and showing the genealogy of Jesus through the branches of the tree that are the Twelve Kings of Judah, ending with Joseph and above him the Virgin and Child. Above the Tree to the ceiling is intricately carved woodwork deeply covered with hundreds of pounds of gold leaf.
This masterpiece of baroque art is an awesome tribute to the importance of Christianity to Western Civilization. To experience the power of this masterpiece yourself, come with us on our next exploration of Portugal over New Years. We’re going to say goodbye to 2024 and enter 2025 in a memorable celebration. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #234 photo ©Jack Wheeler)
BREAKING THE DRONE PHALANX
Drones are, fundamentally, electronic and vehicular devices that are intended to accomplish a task with either a degree of involvement with a human operator or by themselves due to programming. There are many kinds. Drone aircraft that are used for gathering information, serving as airborne targets, or high-risk operations in hostile airspace, have been with us for some time. Land or sea-based drones that sail, or submerge, or travel on tracks or on wheels are also common, if less flashy, and static systems are also used.
Drones can do anything they can be programmed and equipped for—to include industrial, communications, surveillance, hazardous environment or rescue operations, or any other application, to include military ones. They are force multipliers, standing in for humans or helping humans.
Due to quantum leaps in drone technology, affordability, and size, the drone is having an increasingly heavy impact on our world.
For our purposes today, we will focus on military and law enforcement applications of these devices. Drones can seek out and attack vehicles, infrastructure, and individuals in or out of cover, and provide perennial surveillance.
Broadly, the small drone—perhaps, very small—is proving to be lethal to the bigger, traditional weapons. This is upending the battlefield order and is forcing adaptation across the spectrum.
IS THIS THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH?
According to the many thousands of world travellers on TripAdvisor, it’s #1: Praia do Sancho on the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha. You’ll also find it on just about any list of most beautiful beaches, such as Condé Nast, Harper’s Bazaar, and Luxury Travel.
The whole island is gorgeous. Mention that you’ve been there to any Brazilian who hasn’t and their eyes get misty. Fernando de Noronha (no-rone-ya) is the dream honeymoon, the dream vacation that only comes true for few in Brazil, as it’s hard to get to and hardly any place to stay once you’re there.
You have to get to either Recife or Natal in the far northeast, then fly 220 miles out into the Atlantic. Then take a boat, or scamper down the rocks of a 250ft-high cliff to be on the sugar sand of this enchanting beach – which you’ll have almost to yourself.
For some reason, all those lists have the name wrong, calling it “Baia” or “Baio,” when it’s “Praia” (beach in Portuguese). As the welcome sign proudly announces above the cliff trail: “Praia do Sancho – A Mais Bonita do Mundo,” Sancho Beach – The Most Beautiful in the World. If you’re lucky to ever get here, you’ll surely agree. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #73 photo ©Jack Wheeler)
ELON MUSK ON THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA
The evidence of the Democrat Party plans to commit massive voter fraud this year is piling up as high as Mount Everest.
On Sunday (9/29), Gov. Newsom signed a law outlawing Voter ID in California (text of law here). On Friday (9/27), the Biden-Harris DOJ is suing Alabama to stop its noncitizen voter purge. Yesterday (9/30), 218,000 people in Arizona can still vote because of a “glitch” of no proof of citizenship even though its required by Arizona law. That’s just over the weekend. There’s so much more.
On Sunday September 29, Elon posted this on X. I could not encourage you more to copy and send it to everyone you know.
“Very few Americans realize that, if Trump is NOT elected, this will be the last election. Far from being a threat to democracy, he is the only way to save it!
Let me explain:”
“I WILL CRIPPLE YOU” – LONGSHOREMEN STRIKE
In a scene straight out of The Sopranos, video has emerged of Harold Daggett, the chief negotiator for the International Longshoreman's Association, threatening to "cripple" the U.S. economy.
RedState has been reporting that a strike was looming, and the dockworkers made good on their threats by walking off the job at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday. The union foresaw a time in the not-so-distant future when robotics and AI would take over their profession, so they decided to double down and demand a significant increase in wages.
“The ILA is reportedly asking for raises of $5 an hour, per year, which would be an immediate 12.8% pay hike on the current top pay of $39 an hour. Repeating that $5 an hour increase each year would result in raises totaling 77% during the life of the contract.”
The union is also seeking a total ban on the use of automation in their industry.In the video that's taking the internet by storm now that the strike has begun, the Queens-born Daggett, sporting a gold chain around his neck, lays out in minute detail what will happen to the U.S. economy if the strike is allowed to linger.
“When my men hit the streets from Maine to Texas, every single port locked down.You know what's going to happen?
I'll tell you….”