The Fallout game franchise emerged from the post-apocalyptic role-playing game (RPG) genre‚ debuting in 1997 with Fallout‚ developed by Interplay Entertainment. Set in a retro-futuristic world devastated by nuclear war‚ the series blends dark humor‚ complex narratives‚ and moral dilemmas. Bethesda Game Studios revitalized the franchise with critically acclaimed releases such as Fallout 3 (2008) and Fallout 4 (2015)‚ expanding its fan base and cementing its status as a cornerstone of the RPG genre. Fallout… This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. The post Fallout (season 1) first appeared on Worth It or Woke.

Love songs are where we get our passion‚ our soul — and most of our worst ideas.Throughout human history‚ oceans have been crossed‚ mountains have been scaled‚ and great families have blossomed — all because of a few simple chords and a melody that inflamed a heart and propelled it on a noble‚ romantic mission.On the other hand‚ that time you told that girl you just started seeing that you would &;quot;catch a grenade&;quot; for her&;#63; You did that because of a love song. And it wasn't exactly a coincidence that she suddenly decided to &;quot;lose your number&;quot; and move back to Milwaukee to &;quot;figure some stuff out.&;quot;That time you held that boom box over your head outside your ex's house&;#63; You did that because of a love song. And 50 hours of community service later‚ you're still not back together.Love songs are great. They make our hearts beat faster. They inspire us to take risks and put our feelings on the line. And they give us terrible‚ terrible ideas about how actual‚ real-life human relationships should work.They're amazing. So amazing. And also terrible.Here are six love songs that sound romantic but aren't‚ and one song that doesn't sound romantic but totally is:1. &;quot;God Only Knows‚&;quot; by The Beach BoysYou can keep your &;quot;Surfin' Safaris‚&;quot; your &;quot;I Get Arounds‚&;quot; and your &;quot;Help me Rhondas.&;quot;When it comes to The Beach Boys‚ &;quot;God Only Knows&;quot; is where it's at. A lush garden of soft horns and breezy melody. A tie-dye swirl of sound. A landscape of haunted innocence with some of the most heartrending lyrics ever committed to the back of a surfboard.Youth&;#33; Youth&;#33; Youth&;#33; Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images.Here's why it sounds romantic:I may not always love youBut long as there are stars above youYou never need to doubt itI'll make you so sure about itGod only knows what I'd be without youIf you're traipsing through a meadow in a sundress with your beloved and not playing &;quot;God Only Knows&;quot; on your iPod‚ you should really stop and start over.If you're lazily bumping a beach ball over a volleyball net and &;quot;God Only Knows&;quot; isn't playing somewhere in the back of your mind‚ you need to rethink the choices that got you to this point.If you're a video editor compiling footage of grainy hippies frolicking in the mud and you're not underscoring it with the opening chords of &;quot;God Only Knows‚&;quot; you are doing it wrong.It's a song that just feels like love. Pure love. Young love. Love with a chill‚ kelp-y vibe.What could be wrong with that&;#63;Here's why it's actually really‚ really unromantic:There's nothing wrong with loving someone. Sending them flowers. Leaving over-the-top notes in their P.O. boxes. Stroking their hair as they fall asleep while you whisper the complete works of Nicholas Sparks into their ear.But there is such a thing as loving someone a skosh too much.If you should ever leave meThough life would still go on believe meThe world could show nothing to meSo what good would living do me&;#63;Look‚ I get it. Breakups suck. There's no getting around that. But good God.There's a huge difference between saying: &;quot;Hey babe‚ you are my first and foremost everything and I'll be bummed if you go.&;quot; And saying: &;quot;Welp‚ you accepted that job in Seattle‚ so I'm just gonna chug a bunch of nightshade and call it a life.&;quot;But that's pretty much the gist here. Which makes this line...God only knows what I'd be without you...horror-movie creepy. Because the answer‚ apparently‚ is: &;quot;I'd be a corpse&;#33;&;quot;That's not love. That's codependency (to put it mildly). Oh‚ and hey&;#33; Threatening to kill yourself if your partner leaves isn't loving. It's a form of emotional abuse.Investing all your happiness and sense of self-worth in any relationship — one that‚ by definition‚ might one day end — is putting a lot of eggs in one basket. Sure‚ God may only know what you'd be without her‚ but God probably also hopes you have‚ I don't know‚ some hobbies. Take a yoga class. Google some woodworking videos. Try kite surfing.One person cannot be anyone's be-all and end-all. It's too stressful. And it prevents you from doing you‚ which is a thing that's gotta be done before you can do anything else.No wonder she took that job in Seattle.2. &;quot;Treasure‚&;quot; by Bruno MarsSure‚ it's a blatant rip off of every Michael Jackson song you've ever heard. But‚ we don't have Michael Jackson anymore‚ and as tribute acts go‚ you could do a lot worse than Bruno Mars.Here's why the song sounds romantic:Treasure‚ that is what you areHoney‚ you're my golden starYou know you can make my wish come trueIf you let me treasure youIf you let me treasure youPass those lyrics to anyone on a used napkin at an eighth-grade make-out party and you'll likely get an instant toll pass on the highway to tongue-town (ew).Pass them to your spouse and‚ chances are‚ date night is going to culminate in 47 minutes of chaste-yet-passionate frenching.Pass them to a cop who pulls you over for running a stop sign‚ and they will think you're weird — but probably still make out with you.In fact‚ Bruno Mars basically has a lifetime pass to make out with America because of this song.And I'm OK with that.But‚ here's why &;quot;Treasure&;quot; isn't as romantic as it seems:Everything about &;quot;Treasure&;quot; is retro. Everything.Including its attitudes about gender.Things start to go south right from the very beginning:Give me your‚ give me your‚ give me your attention‚ babyI gotta tell you a little something about yourselfAh yes. Nothing screams &;quot;respect&;quot; quite like a man lecturing a strange woman on the street about something she &;quot;doesn't know about herself.&;quot;What could it be&;#63; Could it be that her jokes are funny&;#63; Could it be that she's got something in her teeth&;#63; Could it be that her nonfiction book about early modern German history is extremely detailed and informative&;#63;Spoiler Alert: It's none of those.You're wonderful‚ flawless‚ ooh‚ you're a sexy ladyBut you walk around here like you wanna be someone elseOh. It's that she's sexy. Cool‚ bro. Very original.Word of advice&;#63; Regardless of how she's walking‚ the lady knows she's sexy. Even if she doesn't‚ it really doesn't affect her day-to-day so much that you‚ a complete stranger‚ need to shout it at her (even over a funky disco snare).So what if she does want to be someone else&;#63; I'd love to be someone else&;#33; I think being Ryan Gosling would be quite nice. A good way to spend a three-day weekend.And then later‚ of course‚ the narrator can't help himself:Pretty girl‚ pretty girl‚ pretty girl‚ you should be smilingA girl like you should never look so blue.He respects her so much‚ he's actually straight-up telling her to smile&;#33; Much like Mars' character &;quot;Uptown Funk‚&;quot; who appears to get off on angrily exhorting girls to &;quot;hit [their] hallelujah.&;quot; Which‚ you know‚ I guess everybody's got a thing.Yes‚ in the world of &;quot;Treasure‚&;quot; a healthy relationship is an unending stream of a man complimenting a strange woman and said woman being so totally flattered that she immediately dispenses &;quot;the sex.&;quot;He then proceeds to talk to his potential lover like the world's creepiest pirate:You are my treasure‚ you are my treasureYou are my treasure‚ yeah‚ you‚ you‚ you‚ you areYou are my treasure‚ you are my treasureYou are my treasure‚ yeah‚ you‚ you‚ you‚ you areBy this point‚ in his mind‚ she's a literal thing. An object. Which is fitting.I suppose it could be worse‚ though. At least she's not just any thing.That's ... something‚ right&;#63;3. &;quot;Don't Think Twice‚ It's All Right‚&;quot; by Bob DylanFor as long as humans have been dating each other‚ humans have been breaking up with each other. And &;quot;Don't Think Twice&;quot; is a portrait of a relationship going down in flames. Glorious‚ poetic‚ acoustic flames.Here's why it sounds romantic:Well‚ it ain't no use to sit and wonder why‚ babeEven you don't know by nowAnd it ain't no use to sit and wonder why‚ babeIt'll never do somehowWhen your rooster crows at the break of dawnLook out your window‚ and I'll be goneYou're the reason I'm a-traveling onBut don't think twice‚ it's all right.Boom. Strummed on out of that friends-with-benefits situation like whoa.&;quot;Don't Think Twice&;quot; is a raw song. An honest song. A powerful song. It's the song your older sister played on continuous loop for six months after her boyfriend left for college. The song that convinced your Aunt Roslyn to leave her bank-teller job‚ load her four Australian shepherds into the van‚ and open a wind chime store in Mendocino. The song your friend's cool dad always wants to play when he invited your high school band over to his apartment to jam.Sure‚ it's about the end of a relationship‚ but it sounds romantic. And at the end of the day‚ shouldn't that be enough&;#63;Here's why it's actually sooooo messed up:Relationships end. For a lot of reasons. And while there is no right way to call it quits with someone‚ when the dust settles‚ both parties can certainly benefit from a difficult‚ honest discussion about what went wrong.In &;quot;Don't Think Twice‚&;quot; that discussion basically boils down to: &;quot;It's your fault.&;quot;Let's review the reasons the dude in &;quot;Don't Think Twice&;quot; is splitting with his lady friend:I gave her my heart‚ but she wanted my soulUgh‚ women‚ right&;#63; You're all like‚ &;quot;Babe‚ I just have so much unspecified love to give‚&;quot; and she's like‚ &;quot;Take out the trash&;#33;&;quot; And you're like‚ &;quot;But baaaaaaabe‚ shouldn't my heart be enough&;#63;&;quot; And she's like‚ &;quot;No‚ seriously. I already did the laundry‚ cleaned the whole house‚ fed the dog‚ did the dishes‚ and made both of our lunches for the week. All I need you to do is take out the trash.&;quot; And you're like‚ &;quot;You're bumming me out. I'm gonna go play guitar.&;quot; And then she gets all mad&;#33; What did you do&;#63; Why is she trying to change you&;#63; UGH&;#33;You could have done better‚ but I don't mindYes. You do mind&;#33; You mind&;#33; You wrote a song about it‚ you passive-aggressive prick.You just kinda wasted my precious timeAh yes. Your time is so precious&;#33; Think about all the hours you wasted plumbing the ocean-deep‚ ecstatic mysteries of human partnership when you could have been futzing around with that home-brew kit.The minute you start breaking it down‚ the message of &;quot;Don't Think Twice&;quot; suddenly starts to seem a lot less romantic. Like your sister's ex-boyfriend‚ who worked at the Bass Pro Shop in town for a while and now might be in jail. Like your aunt's wind chime store‚ which would have closed forever ago had she not received that inheritance from her mom in the '80s. Like your friend's cool dad‚ who wasn't exactly‚ technically‚ paying child support.Oh yeah‚ and the song's narrator also point-blank refers woman he's leaving as:A child‚ I'm toldThat's right. In addition to being a run-of-the-mill passive-aggressive jerk — turns out‚ he's also possibly a pedophile.Even if we are to accept that this is a metaphor and she's not actually a child — which there's no indication it is‚ but OK‚ Bob Dylan — the fact that Commitmentphobe Gunderson here would willingly choose an immature partner reflects way more poorly on him than it does on her.Breaking up with anyone in such a cruel‚ dismissive way is a recipe for sticking them with years of therapy bills.Which‚ I suppose‚ may be the point.4. &;quot;Leaving on a Jet Plane‚&;quot; by John DenverWho has two thumbs and wrote a bittersweet folk song about hurtling through the stratosphere in a giant aluminum tube at 600 miles per hour&;#63;Here's why it sounds romantic:&;quot;Leaving on a Jet Plane&;quot; is a lovely song. And impressive in its loveliness because jet planes were still kind of new at the time it was written.'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet planeTo a modern ear‚ this would be sort of like singing‚ &;quot;I'm a scoooting away on my hoverboooooard‚&;quot; but in a way that's somehow still folksy and heartbreaking and singable by 9-year-olds at summer camp. Not easy to do&;#33;Oh babe‚ I hate to goYou see — he hates to go&;#33; He just hates it&;#33; We know this‚ because he tells us he hates it. And why would he hate to go if he didn't love his partner just that much&;#63;Why indeed&;#63;Here's why it's actually not that romantic at all:All the plaintive guitar‚ loping bass line‚ and twangy‚ melancholy warbling in the world can only distract so much from the fact that the song's main character is well‚ kind of a jerkweed.And in reality — surprise surprise&;#33; — it doesn't actually seem like he hates being away all that much:There's so many times I've let you downSo many times I've played aroundI tell you now‚ they don't mean a thing&;quot;Babe‚ I promise&;#33; All the movies I watched alone while you were home nursing the quadruplets. All the times I drained our life savings on Zoo Zillionaire. All the random sex I had with other women. Totally meaningless. Certainly fun to do&;#33; Really fun. Like‚ I had a fantastic time. But rest assured — completely empty‚ in an ontological sense.&;quot;Yes‚ when you break it down‚ &;quot;Leaving on a Jet Plane‚&;quot; is less of a passionate tribute to love overcoming distance and more the deluded ramblings of a guy who needs to convince himself he's &;quot;good&;quot; despite all evidence to the contrary.And for all he claims to be broken up about having to part from his one and only‚ the dude seems pretty excited about the flight. Oh‚ you're leaving on a jet plane‚ are you&;#63; Are you Zone 1&;#63; Gonna humblebrag on Twitter about the &;quot;terrible&;quot; Cibo express salad you were forced to choke down as you sat waiting to embark on your fun‚ mysterious adventure&;#63;He continues:Ev'ry place I go‚ I'll think of youEv'ry song I sing‚ I'll sing for youAh cool. He'll think about her while strumming and making &;quot;my love is delicate as the morning dew&;quot; eyes at a waif-y grad student in the front row. That pretty much makes up for it all.Then he demands:So kiss me and smile for meTell me that you'll wait for meAfter all the betrayal and heartbreak‚ after basically revealing himself to be a grade-A sleaze who can't be trusted‚ he still has the gall to tell her to wait&;#63; To wait for him&;#63;And here's the kicker:When I come back‚ I'll bring your wedding ringAh yes. He'll put a ring on it. Finally.Unlike all the previous trips‚ where he's cheated a billion times‚ drained the family bank account‚ and just been a general screwup and disappointment.But yeah. This time he says he'll bring back a wedding ring.I hope she joins a polyamorous octad and never looks back.5. &;quot;When a Man Loves a Woman‚&;quot; Percy SledgeWhen you look up &;quot;soul&;quot; in the dictionary‚ the book plays you a recording of this song.Specifically‚ it plays you the very first line.Here's why it sound very romantic:When a man loves a womanSure‚ you can write the lyrics down‚ but it doesn't even come close to capturing the heartache. The yearning. The delicious‚ delicious pain-belting:WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMANCloser ... but still no.WHEN A MAAAAAAAN. LOVES A WOOOMAN&;#33;Yes&;#33; Sing it‚ Percy Sledge&;#33;It's an elemental lyric.It's a heart-shattering lyric.It's a lyric that demands you put your back into it.It's perfection.As long as you don't keep listening.Here's why the song is actually pretty horrifying:From the opening lines of &;quot;When a Man Loves a Woman‚&;quot; we know that‚ at least on occasion‚ a man loves a woman.Which raises the question: What happens when said man loves said woman&;#63;He'd give up all his comfortsAnd sleep out in the rainIf she said that's the wayIt ought to be.Whoa&;#33; OK. No. Back up. A man‚ no matter how devoted‚ no matter how selfless‚ no matter how in love‚ needs shelter. Otherwise‚ a man will die of exposure and hypothermia.Turn his back on his best friend if he put her down.No&;#33; Jeez. No. A man can't put up with that kind of isolating behavior. A man needs friends&;#33; Once a man's whole support system erodes out from under him‚ a man will be bitter‚ ungrounded‚ and alone. And a man's mental health will deteriorate.I gave you everything I haveTryin' to hold on to your heartless loveBaby‚ please don't treat me bad.This is not what happens &;quot;when a man loves a woman.&;quot; It's what happens when a man loves a controlling‚ manipulative woman. An abusive woman. A woman who‚ in truth‚ only loves a woman. Herself.And that's not healthy.Run‚ Percy Sledge‚ run&;#33; We're here for you.(Side note: Lest it go unsaid‚ there is way more than one way for a man to love a woman. Maybe they spend every waking moment cuddling and bopping each other on the nose. Maybe they sleep in separate bedrooms. Maybe they dress up in large‚ plush cat costumes and refer to each other Mr. and Mrs. Kittyhawk. And when a man loves a man‚ I imagine it feels much the same. Or when a woman loves a woman. Or when a gender nonconforming person loves a gender nonconforming person.)Regardless of the depth of commitment‚ living situation‚ or combination of genders or sexual orientations‚ there's no one-size-fits-all love solution. Every relationship is a unique snowflake. Variety is the spice of life. Necessity is the mother of invention. There's more than one way to skin a cat. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. It doesn't matter if it's the right metaphor‚ as long as it's a metaphor.Point being: Generalize at your peril‚ Sledge. And please‚ seek help&;#33; You can do this&;#33; And if you ever find yourself in a similar situation‚ please give these people a call.6. &;quot;All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You‚&;quot; HeartHonestly‚ Heart could sing a list of the most popular AllRecipes (&;quot;Jaaaamie's Cranberry Spinach Saaaaalad/World's Best Lasaaaaagna/Sour Creeeeeam Cutouts&;quot;) and it would make me want to bawl my eyes out in the arms of a tall‚ dark stranger at the end of a pier.This song is perfect. You should always be listening to it. If you're not listening to it now‚ smack yourself in the face and Google it. It's just that important.I am singing the phone book. You are weeping like a tiny baby. Photo by FatCat125/Wikimedia Commons.So much passion. So much pain. So much hair.Here's why it sounds romantic:Over pounding drums and a soaring melody‚ Heart sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson deliver a primal tribute to the one true romantic fantasy shared by every living being on Earth: picking up an unnervingly attractive man for one night of mind-blowing sex and then releasing him back into the wild to bone — but never quite as compellingly ever again.They sing:It was a rainy night when he came into sightStanding by the road‚ no umbrella‚ no coatSo I pulled up alongside and I offered him a rideHe accepted with a smile so we drove for a whileI don't have to go on because you know what happens next‚ and it's awesome.Now‚ here's why this song is not romantic at all:The relationship in &;quot;All I Wanna Do&;quot; seems too good to be true. And it is. Because it's not an equally loving ‚or even equally lusty‚ pairing at all.It's a...It's a...Well. You know what it is:For a while‚ things are humming along just fine‚ like any wholesome‚ illicit‚ anonymous affair should:I didn't ask him his name‚ this lonely boy in the rainFate‚ tell me it's right‚ is this love at first sight&;#63;Sure‚ many of us might hesitate to pick up a strange leather-jacket-clad man standing on the side of the road for a no-strings-attached screw‚ but our narrator just has a feeling about this guy‚ and sometimes‚ you gotta go with your gut.I can respect that.We made magic that nightHe did everything rightGreat&;#33; Seems like it was a good decision. Bonking the hitchhiker is payin' off big time.But then‚ without warning‚ the song starts to sound less like an all-time great romance and more like a story men's rights activists tell each other as they vape around a campfire:I told him &;quot;I am the flower‚ you are the seedWe walked in the garden‚ we planted a treeDon't try to find me‚ please don't you dareJust live in my memory‚ you'll always be there&;quot;I'm not a poet. Symbolic language often eludes me. But unless &;quot;flower‚&;quot; &;quot;seed‚&;quot; &;quot;garden‚&;quot; and &;quot;tree‚&;quot; suddenly mean wildly different things in the context of human reproduction than they have since sex was first invented in the early-1970s‚ we're talking about a surprise‚ non-mutually-consensual pregnancy&;#33;Of course‚ metaphors are opaque‚ interpretations vary‚ etc.‚ etc.‚ etc. You might be tempted to think‚ &;quot;Maybe Heart meant something else by that.&;quot;To that I say‚ no‚ they definitely meant it:Then it happened one dayWe came round the same wayYou can imagine his surpriseWhen he saw his own eyesThere are two possibilities here.One: The narrator of the song is recently-deceased Jerry Orbach from this creepy New York City subway ad from nine years ago:Or two: She totally conned a dude into whipping up a baby on the sly.I said‚ &;quot;Please‚ please understandAh‚ sure. Yeah. No worries.I'm in love with another manCool‚ so this all makes sense and is in no way the nightmarish scheme of a deranged sociopath who has now wrecked not one but two lives.And what he couldn't give me‚ oh‚ noWas the one little thing that you can&;quot;A HUMAN LIFE&;#33; A REAL SENTIENT HUMAN LIFE THAT IS NOT INCIDENTAL TO ALL OF THIS&;#33;The best you can say about that is that it's not technically illegal‚ and that leather-jacket man probably should have been responsible for his own birth control. Or‚ at the very least‚ asked more questions .But ... it's not cute. It's not romantic (even the Wilson sisters themselves agree).And at the end of the day‚ the shadiest character in this song is somehow not the rain-soaked hitchhiker wandering to nowhere in the night.Which... is saying something.But there is a love song that is truly‚ madly‚ deeply perfect. An unassailable track in a sea of problematic faves.A song that does everything right.A song that paints a portrait of a healthy partnership built to last.A song that can double as a manual for the ideal human romantic relationship.And that song is...&;quot;Candy Shop‚&;quot; by 50 Cent‚ featuring OliviaHere's why you might be — OK‚ almost definitely are — skeptical:As catchy as &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot; is‚ as fun it is to dance to‚ and as cathartic as it can be to scream in the middle of a crowded fraternity house at 2 a.m.‚ there's no getting around the fact that the song begins like this:I'll take you to the candy shopI'll let you lick the lollipopI'll post that again‚ in case you missed some of the nuance:I'll take you to the candy shopI'll let you lick the lollipopWay to take one for the team‚ narrator of &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot;&;#33;At first glance‚ &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot; is nobody's idea of a classic love song.The lyrics are ... unusually forward. The beat is kinda basic. The hook is like the music they play when Abu Nazir sidles scarily by in &;quot;Homeland.&;quot;It doesn't get played much anymore. When it does resurface‚ it feels ... kinda dated. Like watching that DVD of &;quot;Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire&;quot; on your new Xbox 360.It's not a song you'd put on a mixtape for your crush. It's not a song you'd play for your spouse when the kids are at home with the babysitter and you've got nine hours to tear up the Piscataway Hampton Inn. It's certainly not a song you'd include on the video photo montage you made for your grandparents' silver anniversary.It's just not.But it should be.So here it is. Here's why &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot; by 50 Cent‚ featuring Olivia‚ is actually the perfect relationship song:The bass drum hits. The MIDI violins whine. The singer starts filling out his fellatio permission slip. It's only been 20 seconds‚ and you're already getting ready to hang it up with &;quot;Candy Shop.&;quot;But then ... over the square thrum and the mewling strings‚ a miracle occurs — in the form of a female voice joining the track‚ cutting through the din like a clarion call.She sings:I'll take you to the candy shop (yeah)Boy‚ one taste of what I got (uh-huh)I'll have you spendin' all you got (come on)Keep going 'til you hit the spot‚ whoaIt's mutual&;#33; It's mutual&;#33; They're performing oral sex on each other&;#33;Ring the bells&;#33; Bang the drums&;#33; Release the doves&;#33;Go‚ cunnilingus doves‚ go&;#33;50 Cent himself may not be the world's greatest partner — for example‚ according to one of his exes‚ he's done some pretty unforgivable things.But the narrator of &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot;&;#63; He gets it:You could have it your way‚ how do you want it&;#63;Rather than simply imposing his desires on the person he's with — a la the dude in &;quot;God Only Knows (&;quot;I'm going to invest my entire sense of self-worth in you&;#33;&;quot;) or the street heckler in &;quot;Treasure&;quot; (&;quot;I'm going to treat you like a chest full of gold doubloons&;#33;&;quot;) or the sociopath in &;quot;All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You‚&;quot; (&;quot;I'm going to trick you into knocking me up&;#33;&;quot;) — the &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot; guy actually asks his partner what she wants.Which‚ in the world of popular music‚ is good for about 50‚000 trillion points.And where are they going to do it&;#63; The hotel&;#63; Back of the rental&;#63; The beach&;#63; The park&;#63;It's whatever you're into'Cause consent is sexy&;#33;I ain't finished teaching you 'bout how sprung I got yaThe narrator of &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot; is certainly ... assertive about his desires.But here's the key thing: the lady on the receiving end of those desires&;#63; She's clearly into it. And we know this because she says so.The lines of consent in &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot; are bright red‚ highlighted‚ and soldered into the weirdly sticky club floor.Meanwhile‚ Robin Thicke is outside trying to convince the bouncer that his uncle is a lawyer.Girl what we do ...And where we do ...The things we do ...Are just between me and youNo matter how nasty they freak‚ it will be intimate. It will be private. There will be no revenge porn (the epilogue to &;quot;Blurred Lines‚&;quot; to wit‚ would definitely be a protracted‚ emotionally devastating lawsuit).If you be a nympho‚ I'll be a nymphoSexual compatibility is key to the survival of any relationship‚ whether years‚ weeks‚ or (very possibly in the case of &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot;) minutes long.She may have a high sex drive‚ but dude is graciously offering to accommodate her. What a gentleman&;#33; These crazy kids just might go the distance after all.And at the end of the day‚ what is a relationship but two nymphos‚ sharing health insurance&;#63;It's like it's a race who could get undressed quickerAgain‚ everybody is having a great time. And‚ critically‚ an equally great time.I touch the right spot at the right timeOf course‚ it wouldn't be a pop/hip-hop hit without a spot of random braggadocio‚ but if we're to take him at his word‚ &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot; guy is at least as good at &;quot;doing everything right&;quot; as the anonymous hitchhiker from &;quot;All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You&;quot; — except without all the creepy surprise baby nonsense.The &;quot;Candy Shop&;quot; guy is a keeper. Because he's not a hero or a stranger in the night or a funky‚ shimmering love god. He's a good partner.&;quot;Candy Shop&;quot; is raunchy. It's dirty. It's not your grandmother's love song.But when you strip away the swagger‚ the back beat‚ and the weird strings from &;quot;Best of Public Domain Middle Eastern Music 1993‚&;quot; by the end of the song‚ both people are satisfied. And at the end of the day‚ isn't that what a healthy relationship is all about&;#63;Yeah.Uh-huh.So seductive.This article originally appeared on 12.21.22

92-year-old Norma had a strange and heartbreaking routine.Every night around 5:30 p.m.‚ she stood up and told the staff at her Ohio nursing home that she needed to leave. When they asked why‚ she said she needed to go home to take care of her mother. Her mom‚ of course‚ had long since passed away.Behavior like Norma's is quite common for older folks suffering from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Walter‚ another man in the same assisted living facility‚ demanded breakfast from the staff every night around 7:30. Jean Makesh‚ CEO of Lantern assisted living facilities‚ says he meets folks with stories like these every day. It's their stories that inspired him to make some changes at Lantern.&;quot;I thought I knew a lot about elderly care. The more and more time I was spending with my clients‚ that's when I realized‚ 'Oh my god‚ I have no clue.'&;quot;Confusion is common in Alzheimer's patients‚ but Makesh knew there had to be some way to minimize these conflicts.A big believer in the idea that our environment has an enormous effect on us‚ he started thinking big — and way outside the box.&;quot;What if we design an environment that looks like outside&;#63;&;quot; he said. &;quot;What if I can have a sunrise and sunset inside the building&;#63; What if I'm able to have the moon and stars come out&;#63; What if I build a unit that takes residents back to the '30s and '40s&;#63;&;quot;And that was just the beginning. He also researched sound therapy. And aromatherapy. And carpet that looked like grass. No idea was off-limits.What he came up with was a truly unique memory-care facility. And after testing the concept in Lantern's Madison‚ Ohio‚ facility‚ Makesh is opening two new locations this year.Instead of rooms or units‚ each resident gets a &;quot;home&;quot; on a quiet little indoor street reminiscent of the neighborhoods many of them grew up in.Instead of a boring panel ceiling‚ residents look up and see a digital sky‚ which grows dimmer late in the day to help keep their biological clocks in tune.Throughout the day‚ nature sounds and fresh aromas like peppermint or citrus are piped in.Some studies have shown that this kind of aromatherapy may indeed have some merits for improving cognitive functioning in Alzheimer's patients.For Makesh‚ this isn't just about making patients comfortable‚ though. He wants to change how we think about the endgame of severe dementia.Makesh said one of the frustrating shortcomings of most nursing facilities is that they create conflicts with unnatural environments and schedules‚ and they try to solve them by throwing antipsychotic and anti-anxiety medications at patients. In other words‚ when someone has severe dementia‚ we often give up on them. From there‚ they stop getting the engagement their brain needs to thrive.Of course‚ we're a long way from a cure for Alzheimer's.But Makesh's project shows that when we think strategically about altering the environment and focus on helping people relearn essential self-care and hygiene skills‚ the near-impossible becomes possible.&;quot;In five years‚ we're going to [be able to] rehabilitate our clients where they can live independently in our environment‚&;quot; he said. &;quot;In 10 years‚ we're going to be able to send them back home.&;quot;He knows it's a lofty goal. And whether he'll meet it remains to be seen. But in the meantime‚ he's proud to own one of the few places that offers something pretty rare in cases of severe dementia: hope.This article originally appeared on 09.08.16

For anyone who thinks stories of sexual harassment and assault are complicated‚ writer Maura Quint has a story for you. Actually‚ she has quite a few.Quint posted a thread on her Twitter account that quickly went viral in which she talked about a number of real-life encounters with men that started out sexual‚ involved her expressing disinterest‚ and the men responding appropriately.It wasn't an unrealistic hero's tale of men handing over the keys to their autonomy. Rather‚ Quint's incredible thread made it clear that the only variable in cases of assault vs. non-assault are when a man doesn't respect the autonomy of the woman he's propositioning.Her thread opens up in an all-too-familiar tone‚ where we're led to believe it will go to an incredibly dark place:Instead‚ Quint says her indifference to his proposition was met in kind with a guy just acting in a basic‚ non-rapey way:She goes on to offer several other examples of being in sexual or potentially sexual situations with men who also managed to not sexually assault her:And here's the real kicker‚ Quint says she has been assaulted. To her‚ the difference isn't hard to pinpoint:Her thread has been re-tweeted nearly 50‚000 times and &;quot;liked&;quot; more than 100‚000 times. Other women and some men jumped in with their own tales of drinking‚ partying and still‚ somehow‚ managing to not assault or even harass the women they encountered.It's a stark contrast to the half-baked defenses of Brett Kavanaugh and other men like him. There are incredibly rare exceptions where a man is accused of assault or harassment and he is entirely free of guilt. But for women‚ or anyone for that matter‚ who has survived sexual assault or experienced sexual harassment‚ there is no &;quot;gray area.&;quot;There's being OK with assault and then there's everything else. Whether or not we're consciously aware of this‚ we've all chosen a side. But if you're on the wrong side‚ it doesn't have to be that way forever.This article originally appeared on 10.02.18

&;quot;I'm gunna clear a few things up here...&;quot; The post Why did people throw Cabbage Patch Dolls at the unfortunate Phil Collins&;#63; first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

During the past several election cycles‚ political pundits have devoted a lot of attention to the “diploma divide.” Much of this commentary has focused on the advantage Democrats enjoy among voters who tell pollsters they possess college degrees. It isn’t difficult to see why this topic has received so much scrutiny. The commentariat is dominated by college graduates who overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party. This also explains why so much of the self-congratulatory writing about the diploma divide tends to overlook its most consequential characteristic — that working class voters without college degrees far outnumber their “highly educated” counterparts. They made a Faustian bargain with a man of limited mental capacity and less character simply to get rid of the Bad Orange Man. As the Pew Research Center reported last week‚ “Voters who do not have a four-year degree make up a 60% majority of all registered voters.” A couple of decades ago‚ this would have been good news for Democrats. As recently as 2007‚ according to the Pew analysis‚ “56% of voters without a degree were Democrats or leaned Democratic‚ while 42% were Republicans or GOP leaners.” There has since been a 20 point swing toward the GOP‚ which now enjoys a 51 percent to 45 percent advantage among these working class voters. This clearly benefits former President Trump‚ as a New York Times/Siena poll released Saturday morning illustrates. He he polls far better than President Biden on the major issues that matter to voters. Predictably‚ the Gray Lady’s coverage of its own poll was characteristically disingenuous‚ heavily focusing on a modest uptick in Biden’s support that purportedly narrowed Trump’s national lead to one point. Among registered voters the head-to-head result was 46-45. Among likely voters the result was 47-46. The first four paragraphs of the article introducing the new poll squeezed as much verbiage as humanly possible out of that all but meaningless datum. The editors of the Times know perfectly well that the 2024 presidential election will be decided by one or two of six swing states in which Trump holds modest but consistent leads. Finally‚ in the fifth paragraph‚ the Times gave its readers the unpleasant news: Beneath the narrowing contest‚ many of the fundamentals of the race appear largely unchanged … Voters in the poll gave Mr. Trump’s and Mr. Biden’s handling of the economy almost perfectly inverted ratings: 64 percent approved of Mr. Trump’s handling of the issue as president and 63 percent disapprove of Mr. Biden’s job on the issue … Immigration gave Mr. Trump his other biggest edge among a host of issues voters were asked about in the survey. Border crossings hit record highs at the end of last year. A majority approved of Mr. Trump’s handling of immigration as president‚ while 64 percent of voters disapproved of Mr. Biden’s job on those matters. The poll’s crosstabs reveal an even more ominous picture for Biden when the responses of working class voters are separated from other registered voters. Trump’s approval rating on the economy rises to 72 percent among voters without college degrees‚ while Biden’s disapproval rating on the economy rises to 70 percent among these voters. On immigration‚ 55 percent of working class voters approve of Trump’s performance during his tenure in office‚ while 66 percent of these voters disapprove of the way Biden has handled the issue. With regard to the ever present age issue‚ 71 percent of working class voters say Biden is too old to be an effective president‚ while only 38 percent say the same thing about Trump. What do the crosstabs tell us about those highly educated voters about whom we have heard so much&;#63; Biden fares a little better with these voters‚ but they’re not happy with him either. On the economy‚ for example‚ only 45 percent of registered voters with a college degree approve of the job he’s doing. On immigration‚ a mere 38 percent of these voters approve of Biden’s performance. As to the age issue‚ 66 percent of college-educated voters say Biden is too old to be an effective president. All of which means there isn’t much of a diploma divide where Biden is concerned. Neither working class voters nor their college-educated counterparts think Biden can cut it. Thus‚ even partisan hacks like Ezra Klein want him to go: I have this nightmare that Trump wins in 2024. And then in 2025 and 2026‚ out come the campaign tell-all books‚ and they’re full of emails and WhatsApp messages between Biden staffers and Democratic leaders‚ where they’re all saying to each other‚ this is a disaster‚ he’s not going to win this‚ I can’t bear to watch this speech‚ we’re going to lose. But they didn’t say any of it publicly‚ they didn’t do anything … I think Biden‚ as painful as this is‚ should find his way to stepping down as a hero. That the party should help him find his way to that‚ to being the thing he said he would be in 2020‚ the bridge to the next generation of Democrats. The problem here is that “journalists” like Klein knew full well that Biden wasn’t up to the job in 2020‚ but they covered for him. They made a Faustian bargain with a man of limited mental capacity and less character simply to get rid of the Bad Orange Man. They evidently didn’t realize that‚ once Biden became President of the United States‚ dislodging him would be all but impossible if he did not want to leave. This man wields more power than the most delusional Roman emperor could have imagined‚ and he is surrounded by creatures whose influence and prestige will evaporate the moment he leaves office. Consequently‚ even if he wanted to step down‚ they will not allow it. This includes the sainted “Dr. Jill.” The good news is that working class voters still outnumber “highly educated” voters by a large margin. To paraphrase Jim Morrison‚ they have the hubris but we have the numbers. The math favors us‚ but not if we sit on the couch and kvetch. READ MORE from David Catron: The Greedflation Canard The Corporate Media Mocks ‘Double Haters’ Why Biden Is Bleeding Non-White Voters The post Trump Owns the Working Class Vote appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

One day in the 00s‚ as a struggling Hollywood screenwriter like Fitzgerald’s Pat Hobby‚ I decided to earn some money playing a courtroom spectator on Judge Judy‚ a show I’d never watched. They sat me in the second row‚ making me prominent in every audience shot. I don’t remember anything about the case‚ or much about the star judge‚ because I dozed off early on. All I recall is a TV crewmember tapping me on the shoulder then relocating me to the back row‚ so I still got paid for sleeping. But I would have stayed wide awake in Matt Walsh’s courtroom during any session of Judged by Matt Walsh‚ because I’d be laughing. Walsh amusingly if drily rips both their dysfunctions and expresses his frustration just before dispensing judgment. Amid the increasingly indistinguishable world of “infotainment‚” Walsh is a conservative triple threat — a witty culture critic‚ a moral crusader‚ and the sharpest deadpan comedian since Norm Macdonald. In the most serious second capacity‚ Walsh was instrumental in outlawing child “gender” butchery in Tennessee last year‚ and aiding the (sadly temporary) blockage of liberal indoctrination in Virginia schools. Circumventing a Loudoun County School Board rule that prohibited non-state residents from speaking out‚ Walsh officially relocated to Virginia for a short time. The lyrics to a segment on his very entertaining Daily Wire podcast‚ The Matt Walsh Show‚ boasts‚ “Who saved Virginia after living there just for a day&;#63;” Yet in his actual address to the far left school board‚ Walsh was brutally direct: “You are all child abusers. You prey upon impressionable children and indoctrinate them into your insane ideological cult. A cult which holds many fanatical views‚ but none so deranged as the idea that boys are girls and girls are boys.” (READ MORE from Lou Aguilar: The Hollywoke Meltdown) Walsh’s most refreshing trait amid the liberal-dominant cancel culture is his total fearlessness in skewering any progressive sacred cow‚ regardless of race‚ sex‚ sexual orientation‚ or status in what he calls the “victim totem pole‚” itself a snowflake-triggering term. He had no qualms‚ for instance‚ about ripping double victim — black‚ female — Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee on her recent assertion that the moon is gaseous. “The spin that this ignoramus came up with is that she didn’t mean to say that stupid thing — she actually meant to say an even stupider thing.” Walsh added‚ “We are ruled by morons. By people who should not be trusted to walk across a room holding a pair of scissors … These are the people running the country.” And last week‚ Walsh righteously blasted a Republican squish‚ Kari Lake‚ for her pathetic Planned Parenthood-worthy statement criticizing the Arizona Supreme Court’s upholding of a strict pro-life law.  “It’s wrong on principle to come out in support of ‘sometimes you have to make the choice to kill your baby‚’ Walsh said on his podcast. “It’s actually a reprehensible‚ disgusting view.” Walsh wouldn’t just stop intellectually challenged folk from governing‚ he would prevent them from voting as a self-proclaimed “theocratic fascist.” Although he lacks the necessary absolute power‚ he now has binding legal power via his new show‚ Judged by Matt Walsh‚ which is refreshing fun. And watching him wield it is highly amusing. He displays his deadpan skill in the introduction to the first episode. Wearing a judicial robe‚ he indicates two ridiculous sketches of his supposedly magisterial ancestors — both sharing his recognizable beard and glasses — Walsh somberly describes the auspicious family history that led him to the bench. My great‚ great grandfather‚ Matthew Walsh‚ was a judge. He sat on the bench for almost 52 years‚ presiding over some of the most pivotal legal cases of his time. During his five-decade career‚ he sentenced 467 people to death. He was proud of that— and so am I … Same for my own grandfather and my own father‚ together they spent nearly 200 years deciding cases‚ and they passed down almost 3‚000 death sentences. Naturally‚ I was intrigued when the Daily Wire came to me and offered me my own court show. My first question — can I sentence people to death&;#63; The answer‚ of course‚ was no‚ but to the unfortunate people before him‚ Walsh’s judgments may seem pretty harsh. Because he addresses their absurdity‚ as much to the plaintiff as the defendant. The initial two were a couple — whether estranged or not was unclear — which mitigated their foolishness. The male plaintiff had told his girlfriend not to touch his car‚ which she naturally did and crashed. The defendant girlfriend denied any fault because he had left the car keys in her reach. “I feel like if we’re together‚ whatever is his is mine too.” Walsh amusingly if drily rips both their dysfunctions and expresses his frustration just before dispensing judgment. “Ms. Guzman‚ Mr. Taylor‚ I have to tell you that spending this time with both of you has been the worst experience of my entire life.” He does find for Taylor that Guzman must pay him the $5‚000 damage cost‚ but it’s obvious that misfortune of one type or another will follow them into the near future. (READ MORE: Midway in the Culture War) And that’s the only drawback to Judged by Matt Walsh. Walsh’s humor‚ wit‚ aplomb‚ and common sense could eventually seem like pinpricks against widespread cluelessness. It may bring you down a bit but sure won’t put you to sleep. You’ll be laughing too much. The post Laughter in the Court appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Congress is intent on reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before it expires on April 19th. It is equally intent on renewing the law without rewriting it to prevent political abuse of the FBI’s authority under the law. Johnson’s bill leaves too much discretion to the FBI and doesn’t include the most critical reform: to get FISA out of politics. Everyone who has been paying the least attention knows the recent history of FISA and how the FBI abused its powers under FISA to accuse former president Trump and his 2016 campaign of collusion with Russia. (READ MORE from Jed Babbin: Biden Is Morally Bankrupt) The Washington Times‚ in a tough December 13th editorial titled “FBI’s assurances no longer cut it in an age of politicized intelligence‚” catalogued those abuses. The editorial concluded that FISA’s Section 702 (about which more later) should be repealed because the FBI‚ including its leadership‚ is untrustworthy with the powers FISA gives. On Thursday afternoon last week‚ FBI Director Christopher Wray testified to the House Appropriations Committee urging that they pass a budget increase for the FBI and the reauthorization of FISA. Cong. Mike Garcia (R-Cal) told Wray to his face‚ “I don’t trust you‚” citing a lack of transparency and his relative silence on the border mess President Biden has created. The preceding Friday former president Trump‚ on his “Truth Social” forum‚ wrote‚ “KILL FISA‚ IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME‚ AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN&;#33;&;#33;&;#33;” For Trump‚ it’s all about him and not about what our intelligence community can or should do. All Trump accomplished was to make Senate Republicans angry. Adhering to what Trump said‚ several Republicans joined with Democrats to kill the rule under which the FISA reauthorization would be debated. The reauthorization bill was finally passed on Friday‚ extending the law for two years instead of the usual five. At issue was the addition of an amendment that would have required the FBI to get a search warrant before making any search of the many databases the FBI uses for information on any American. The FBI opposes that amendment‚ as did Cong. Mike Turner (R-Oh)‚ chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence — whose FISA “reform” bill didn’t reform anything important — saying it would slow the FBI’s searches down too greatly. Too *#@*&;&;#33;  bad. The Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable search and seizure wasn’t written for the FBI’s convenience. Today‚ a motion for reconsideration may enable the House Republican rebels to pass that amendment. They probably won’t succeed but they should. I have been writing‚ since May 2023 ( see‚ for example‚ here and here) that FISA needs to be rewritten to prevent it being abused again — as it was in the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation of Trump and his campaign. Those columns expressed the opinion that unless FISA is reformed in that way‚ it should be allowed to lapse. There are too many FBI abuses of FISA to catalogue here. A few – the false affidavits filed with the FISA Court to get the Carter Page warrants‚ the FBI Agent Kevin Kleinsmith falsifying and rewriting an email in support of those warrants and much more — indicate that Garcia was right in saying he doesn’t trust Christopher Wray. FISA was originally written by my old friend‚ retired Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo)‚ to provide the means for surveilling foreign nations and terrorist groups meaning harm to our country. It has been proved‚ time and again‚ to be highly effective. FISA was partially re-written in the post-9-11 “Patriot Act.” The Patriot Act added what now is the problem: Section 702 of FISA which has been abused by the FBI too many times to count. Section 702 enables the collection‚ use‚ and dissemination of all electronic communications that pass through U.S. equipment including telephone‚ email‚ and texts. The only real restriction on it is that the communication needs to be with a foreign person on one end and that the purpose of the intercept is to collect foreign intelligence information. The collection of information on any “U.S. person” — a person legally in the U.S. or a U.S. company — is subject to “minimization” procedures which are meant to dispose of the data. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) passed a bill that won’t reform FISA‚ but pretends to. According to a Wall Street Journal report‚ “the bill sharply reduces the amount of Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel who can conduct U.S. searches‚ creates criminal penalties for abuse‚ bars the FBI from searching the database solely for evidence of a crime rather than a national-security purpose‚ mandates more auditing of the program‚ and codifies other changes already internally adopted at the FBI.” (READ MORE: Biden Does Nothing for Americans Held Abroad) In short‚ Johnson’s bill leaves too much discretion to the FBI and doesn’t include the most critical reform: to get FISA out of politics. As I explained in the columns above‚ it is necessary to prevent FISA — and the FBI and the FISA court‚ which operates necessarily in secret — from considering surveillance warrants that target federal or statewide incumbent officials and candidates. Unless that is done‚ the bill fails to accomplish anything that will prevent another abuse like the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation. And it fails in precisely that manner. FISA already prohibits targeting U.S. citizens on any surveillance warrants. That‚ too‚ failed. Trump campaign official Carter Page was targeted on the false ground that he was a Russian agent. Johnson’s two-year extension of FISA intends to give Trump a shot at further reforms if he defeats Biden in November. That’s too much to bet on a hope. There’s really no chance that Congress will suddenly become serious about FISA reforms and change the law the way it needs to be changed. FISA is‚ we are told‚ an essential intelligence tool that helps protect us against foreign espionage and terrorism. I believe it does. But the evidence proves that the FBI cannot be trusted with its powers without rewriting the law to prevent it from once again engaging in political abuse. The post Congress Blows It on FISA appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Every April 15th Major League Baseball commemorates one of the greatest to ever play the sport‚ Jackie Robinson. This Monday every player in the MLB will wear the number 42 to honor what Jackie struggled through during his life and what he gave to the MLB. If you’re a sports fan you’ve probably heard of Jackie Robinson‚ but I bet you didn’t know that Robinson was a conservative. Robinson’s role in the Civil Rights movement may lead people to believe that he was a liberal icon‚ however this couldn’t be further from the truth. While Robinson’s political affiliations and beliefs were not widely publicized during his playing years‚ his religious beliefs‚ anti-communism‚ and pro-business sentiments led him to support the Republican Party. Robinson seemed destined from birth to be a conservative. When he was born‚ his parents named him Jack Roosevelt Robinson‚ his middle name being a tribute to former president Teddy Roosevelt who had died less than a month before Robinson was born. Robinson grew up going to a Methodist church in Southern California‚ where he would learn to love the Lord. Robinson attended church during the end of the Social Gospel movement‚ and his pastor‚ Reverend Karl Everette Downs at Scott Methodist Church was heavily influenced by its teachings. It was in this church where Robinson learned that Christianity was the driving force for equality in the world. During his military service‚ Robinson was court-martialed after arguing with a superior officer who called Robinson the n-word. This trial could have spelled disaster for Robinson‚ but he remained calm and believed that everything would work out for the best‚ “because of his deep faith in God‚ that his grandmother instilled in him.” Robinson was known to have a hot temper‚ but his faith in God allowed him to remain levelheaded in tense situations. In no small part due to his dignified demeanor‚ Robinson was acquitted of all charges. For the majority of his life Robinson eschewed political partisanship and was a true independent voter. He was not a fan of Franklin Delano Roosevelt‚ for example‚ but he did like Harry Truman. The Cold War strengthened Robinson’s conservative values as he deeply despised communism. He viewed communism as one of the greatest threats to the country and he called communism‚ “a resourceful and powerful enemy.” While Robinson was still playing for the Dodgers he was asked to testify against Paul Robeson‚ a communist with ties to the Communist Party USA and the Soviet Union‚ in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Robinson had previously signed a contract stating that he would avoid speaking on politics‚ but was released from said contract in order to testify. When he was on the stand‚ Robinson denounced communism and Robeson‚ doing his best to explain why communism was so appealing to African Americans‚ but warning against the dangers of the ideology. One of the main reasons Robinson despised communism was because he believed strongly in the benefits of free enterprise. Determined to keep African Americans from the maw of communism‚ Robinson focused his post-MLB career efforts on helping blacks in the area of business and economic development. (READ MORE: Jackie Robinson: Anti-Communist Republican) Robinson tried his hand at coffee‚ banking‚ and construction businesses all located in black neighborhoods so that he could build up these communities. Robinson opened the Freedom National Bank‚ a black-owned financial institution in Harlem‚ New York‚ a venture aimed to provide banking services to African American communities‚ which were often underserved by mainstream banks. While Robinson aimed to appear apolitical during his playing career‚ he became more vocal about his political beliefs after baseball. A fan of many Republican politicians‚ Robinson was a supporter of the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket and met both the president and vice-president while they were in office. Robinson wrote to them frequently to discuss political affairs during their two terms and Nixon would later recount that of all the praise he received during his presidency there were “none that meant more to me” than Robinson’s. Nixon would write that Robinson’s “expressions of approval will be a constant source of strength and encouragement to me.” Robinson did eventually have a falling out with the party when Barry Goldwater was nominated for the presidency after Nixon’s loss in 1960. Robinson was furious at the Republican Party and took out a newspaper column advocating against Goldwater and voicing his general frustration over the direction of the Party. Despite this falling out‚ Robinson still supported other Republican candidates and never renounced his conservative values. In the race for New York governor‚ Robinson supported Republican Nelson Rockefeller‚ who viewed Robinson as a key to his victory. Robinson toured with Rockefeller and helped him win the gubernatorial race. (READ MORE: Fact-Checking AI: Are Republicans Racist&;#63;) Jackie Robinson will forever remain a national icon in the struggle for equality‚ but do not let liberal historians obscure the reasons Robinson stood for equality. His conservative beliefs and Christian faith made it clear to him that African Americans and all human beings were equals and deserved respect. Robinson was an American hero who became so due to his conservative values. Thank you 42. The post Jackie Robinson: An American Hero … And a Conservative appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Even at the top of the right-wing National Rally in France‚ the great replacement of the autochthonous French seems unstoppable. On the hustings for the European elections‚ its successful young leader‚ Jordan Bardella‚ proudly presents himself as “a Frenchman of mixed heritage.”  Day-to-day events rub in Bardella’s message that something is very rotten in the parallel‚ Islamic societies developing in many suburbs. The polls predict a landslide for his party Rassemblement National (RN) on June 9th. At around 30 percent of the vote‚ RN is deemed far ahead of its nearest rival‚ a relatively unknown member of president Emmanuel Macron’s party. This lady‚ Val&;eacute;rie Hayer‚ could hope for 19 percent of the vote at best. If the polls are proved right‚ the nationalist Right will sweep the board in France‚ as the RN’s competitor somewhat further to the right‚ Reconqu&;ecirc;te‚ is credited with at least 6 percent of the vote.  About fifteen French parties have put forward candidates for the Parliament in Strasbourg where all 27 member states of the European Union are represented. Voting takes places between June 6th and 9th. (READ MORE from Ren&;eacute; ter Steege: Poles Vote on Immigration While Other Europeans Suffer) It can be argued‚ rightly‚ that the French and other Europeans care little about the European Parliament‚ presented as a coffee klatch and besmirched by corruption scandals and influence-peddling by Russia.  Nonetheless‚ the vote is seen in France as a dress rehearsal for presidential elections in 2027. Marine Le Pen is widely expected to run again‚ after three failed attempts. A victory in June for her prot&;eacute;g&;eacute; Jordan Bardella would stand her in good stead to finally succeed. Second on Mr. Bardella’s electoral list is yet another politician with foreign roots. Malika Sorel‚ the daughter of Algerian immigrants‚ is a conservative but hitherto politically unattached intellectual said to have joined Mr. Bardella’s team after president Macron had turned her down for a government post. The immigrant background of both politicians undermines the well-worn reproach of the Left that the National Rally is inherently “racist‚” bent on ridding France of foreigners. In reality‚ France has‚ albeit not always flawlessly‚ mostly welcomed immigrants willing to embrace the country. But during the last four decades‚ the once neutral word immigration has in French acquired a negative connotation‚ linked with self-chosen apartheid by often Islamic migrants and their offspring who have unleashed a wave of crime and terror on the country. Jordan Bardella had witnessed this at first hand in 2005‚ when‚ aged nine‚ he lived with his mother Luisa‚ born in the Italian city of Turin‚ in a council flat in the drab Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis. There‚ too‚ youngsters mostly of Arab and African origin created havoc in the first national “uprising” which surpassed itself in the summer of last year‚ creating an atmosphere of insurrection on a national scale.  Later‚ Bardella‚ born in 1995 in the suburb of Drancy‚ would refer to the rioting around his modest apartment building as his “first political memory.” At the time‚ his mother eked out a meager living as an educational assistant in nursery schools‚ witnessing at first hand the linked phenomena of white flight and massive non-Western immigration to the northern suburbs of Paris.   Bardella’s parents had separated when Jordan‚ their only child‚ was two years old. His father Olivier‚ the child of Italian immigrants already settled in France‚ moved out of Saint-Denis and settled in more prosperous surroundings as an entrepreneur in soft drink vending machines. Jordan paid regular visits to his father‚ but he was essentially raised by his mother who witnessed him becoming a member‚ at 16‚ of the Front National‚ the right wing party founded and led by Jean-Marie Le Pen in 1972. The scenes of looting and violence he had witnessed as a frightened young boy from his window had a lot to do with his choice to join a party demonized by the Left and the political center. Thus‚ Bardella enjoys impeccable popular credentials. “During my childhood‚ I watched as my Mum struggled to make ends meet‚ especially towards the end of each month‚” he told a television interviewer in 2022. His parents had sent him to a private Catholic High School‚ rather than an Islamized and rowdy public one. Looking back at his youth in Saint-Denis‚ a former Communist stronghold‚ and the surrounding department of Seine-Saint-Denis‚ Mr. Bardella told the weekly Valeurs Actuelles: “I see these places as territories that are lost to the French Republic. Immigration‚ poverty‚ and crime are rife‚ masked drug dealers ply their trade around apartment buildings‚ I stumbled upon them as I tried to enter ours.” After obtaining the baccalaureate‚ he attended the Sorbonne University in Paris where he did not finish his geography studies and turned to politics instead. Starting as a member of the youth wing of the party‚ which he was later to lead‚ Mr. Bardella caught the eye of Mr. Le Pen p&;egrave;re and his youngest daughter Marine‚ who in 2015 excluded her father from the party. His anti-Semitic outbursts kept the party‚ renamed RN in 2018‚ from being seen as government material. From local party leader to provincial councillor‚ Mr. Bardella‚ under Marine Le Pen’s wing‚ quickly rose through  the ranks. (READ MORE: Is Civil War on the Horizon in France&;#63;) In 2017‚ she put him at the heart of her campaign team for the presidential elections that year‚ when she was flatly beaten by Emmanuel Macron in the run-off. Her disastrous performance in the only debate with her opponent had a lot to do with it. She maintained Mr. Bardella in her team of close advisors‚ however‚ promoting him to the role of her spokesman and leader of the team of RN candidates at the previous European elections‚ in 2019. He won‚ with 23 percent of the vote‚ pipping the candidate of Macron’s party who he is now expected to roundly defeat.   Bardella was elected president of the Rassemblement National in 2022‚ beating his only opponent‚ Marine Le Pen’s former partner. Shortly before‚ she had again failed to defeat Macron‚ but the media deemed she had lost honorably this time. Marine‚ freed from the humdrum tasks of leading what is still her party‚ will now concentrate on possibly her last effort to enter the Elys&;eacute;e. With Bardella at the helm‚ for the first time the main nationalist party in France is no longer led by someone from the Le Pen family. But his ties with the “family firm” remain close‚ as he is romantically linked to Nolwenn Olivier‚ the daughter of Marine’s elder sister Marie-Caroline and her husband Philippe Olivier‚ a party apparatchik. Mr. Bardella is often depicted as “the ideal son-in-law”: well behaved‚ conventionally dressed. At 6‚5 feet and of athletic build he strikes a handsome if somewhat staid figure. He never raises his voice in debates with opponents‚ the raising of an eyebrow is one of his few signs of irritation. With rare exceptions his vocabulary is sufficiently technocratic and bland not to offend anyone.  This greatly annoys the Left‚ already bereft of hate-figure Jean-Marie Le Pen‚ who‚ at the age of 95‚ has been placed under legal protection at the request of his three daughters.  Day-to-day events rub in Bardella’s message that something is very rotten in the parallel‚ Islamic societies developing in many suburbs and even in provincial towns. Early April‚ a 15-year old schoolboy was beaten to death in a small town near Paris for disobeying the order of brothers of his Muslim girlfriend to stop seeing her. White people are totally absent from pictures of the victim’s funeral in the town of Viry-Ch&;acirc;tillon. At about the same time‚ a Muslim schoolgirl in the southern town of Montpellier was beaten into a coma by a female classmate for “dressing as a European‚” that is to say unveiled. Earlier‚ the head teacher of a lyc&;eacute;e in Paris resigned after receiving death threats for ordering a student to obey the rules on clothing and take off her Islamic headdress. According to not only Mr. Bardella‚ France thus reaps the bitter harvest of unbridled immigration from its former colonies. His many enemies in left-wing media claim he stirs up hatred against Muslims and are desperate to dig up some dirt. But a “scoop” by investigative journalists on public television‚ alleging in January that Mr. Bardella was behind anonymous Twitter-accounts spewing hatred of non-whites‚ fell flat. He denied it and the evidence was unconvincing.   Other members of his party can or could‚ with some justification‚ be seen as admirers of Vladimir Putin‚ as Marine Le Pen before the invasion of Ukraine‚ but not Bardella.  At the start of his campaign for the European elections‚ he avoided the words “great replacement‚” judged beyond the pale by his adversaries. Instead‚ he lambasted “le grand effacement‚” the gradual phasing out of the French and other Europeans “by a totally mad immigration policy for over forty years.” (READ MORE: Silent French Minority Wants No Part In Pension Reform Protests) Will Bardella‚ someday‚ replace Marine Le Pen as the presidential candidate of the hard right in France&;#63; Even some of her supporters fear that the stigma attached to the name Le Pen will prevent her from ever coming to power. Even with his foreign sounding name‚ her prot&;eacute;g&;eacute; could pull it off‚ just like Nicolas Sarkozy‚ the son of a Hungarian immigrant and a French mother‚ in 2007. The post Jordan Bardella‚ Marine Le Pen’s Crown Prince appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.