Is this the end?

Dancing in the dark.

"I could never sing like her—I mean‚ I can’t even try." The post The B-52’s Kate Pierson on the artist who “epitomised hippiedom” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Any rational person familiar with the behavior of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during the prosecutorial misconduct hearings that finally ended last Friday has probably concluded that her conduct has created the “appearance of impropriety.” This‚ according to defense lawyers for former President Trump and several co-defendants‚ is sufficient to disqualify Willis and the Fulton County DA’s office from prosecuting the RICO case they launched last August. Indeed‚ defense attorney Harry MacDougald cited six examples of actual conflicts of interest‚ any one of which is sufficient to disqualify Willis and her office. Yet it’s unlikely that it will happen. The only real question left is whether Judge Scott McAfee will do the right thing. Why not? The decision must be made by Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee‚ who said on Friday that he would rule on the motion to disqualify Willis and her office in about two weeks. Unfortunately for the defendants‚ McAfee is a temporary appointee to the bench who must face Fulton County voters for the first time about 60 days after his ruling. Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp appointed him last year to complete the term of retiring Judge Christopher S. Brasher. According to McAfee’s campaign website‚ his election will take place on May 21. Fulton County‚ which includes Atlanta‚ is overwhelmingly Democratic and its voters will be less than pleased with the judge if he disqualifies Willis and her office. (READ MORE from David Catron: Biden’s Cognitive Decline Continues Apace) Further complicating matters is the fact that McAfee once worked in the Fulton County DA’s office and was supervised by none other than Fani Willis‚ according to a report in the New York Times. This presumably explains his weirdly passive response to her disruptive courtroom antics during her February 15 testimony. He allowed her to ignore questions‚ accuse defense attorneys of lying and imply that they represented a threat to democracy. McAfee’s supine attitude doesn’t bode well for disqualification. Nor do the questions he asked defense attorneys during closing arguments. Here’s how he responded to an attorney who questioned Willis’s claim to have repaid Nathan Wade back in cash for all his monetary gifts: Attorney: If you do the math on what he actually paid for and what they testified she paid back in cash you still have over $9‚200. $9‚240‚ to be exact‚ is the amount of money they cannot account for in their testimony. And as your honor will remember‚ there was no mention of cash in Mr. Wade’s affidavit … Judge McAfee: Before we get into that‚ let me ask you this: Let’s say the theory wasn’t even there that they had paid it back or that there had been any exchange. Should there first be a consideration of a materiality requirement? Attorney: No. Judge McAfee: Have you seen that in this jurisdiction? Well‚ it’s not in this jurisdiction. Have you seen that in any other jurisdiction? Attorney: I haven’t seen that judge‚ and if was $6.00‚ that would still be improper. Judge McAfee: Would it still be improper where it’s a per se disqualification? If someone‚ you know‚ buys their boss a stick of gum is that per se disqualifying because there’s no materiality requirement? McAfee’s question was obviously not asked in good faith. He has already stated that no materiality requirement exists in his jurisdiction. The ridiculous “stick of gum” analogy is clearly meant to distract the attorney so he will stop talking about the preposterous claim by Willis that she reimbursed Nathan Wade in cash for their many romantic jaunts. This is not the only time that Judge McAfee deliberately interrupted defense attorneys to protect Willis. When an attorney for one co-defendant questioned her about gifts and personal benefits she received from Nathan Wade‚ Willis became belligerent and evasive. Instead of instructing Willis to answer the question‚ McAfee told the lawyer to sit down and shut up. Attorney: The question on the floor involves aggregate gifts in excess of $100 and your testimony is that you did not receive an aggregate in excess of $100? Judge McAfee: Alright‚ Mr. MacDougald‚ you can sit down now. Attorney: I don’t believe she answered that question‚ your honor. She answered as to specific individual gifts. Judge McAfee: And you’re not listening to my answer either. So we’re done. This testy exchange was with defense attorney Harry MacDougald noted in the first paragraph above. He not only cited six examples of “actual conflicts of interest” involving Fani Willis in his closing argument on Friday‚ he also provided the best metaphorical description of the ethical burden prosecutors bear: “The administration of the law and especially that of the criminal law should‚ like Caesar’s wife‚ be above suspicion and should be free from all temptation‚ bias or prejudice so far as it is possible for our courts to accomplish it. Its blindingly obvious that Fani Willis has failed the “Caesar’s wife” standard. The only real question left is whether Judge Scott McAfee will do the right thing. (READ MORE: Non-Citizens Have Been Voting Since 2008) His behavior in the courtroom suggests that he lacks the courage to do so 60 days before he faces Fulton County voters. He isn’t corrupt‚ but he may be a coward. READ MORE from David Catron: Biden’s Sound and Fury Trump’s Swing State Challenge The post Why GA Judge Won’t Disqualify Fani Willis appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

CAPTAIN KIRK: You have him on complete Life Support. Was he dead? DR. MCCOY: He was worse than dead. CAPTAIN KIRK: What do you mean? DR. MCCOY: Jim … CAPTAIN KIRK: Come on‚ Bones‚ what’s the mystery? DR. MCCOY: His brain is gone. —From Star Trek‚ Spock’s Brain Longtime readers of my writing here know how much I think real life reflects the brilliance of classic Star Trek (not the endless PC leeching on it that followed). Unlike practically anyone in Hollywoke today‚ the artists who crafted the original series understood reality enough to present a moralistic‚ futuristic parable for it. They had served in war‚ seen men killed‚ saved lives‚ raised families‚ and read great books‚ concepts mostly alien to the imitative‚ ideological internet generations that followed. President Biden is Mr. Spock after an advanced alien female removed his brain. Before creating Star Trek‚ Gene Rodenberry was an Army Air Force ace with 89 combat missions in World War II‚ an airline pilot‚ then an LA cop — all jobs where no modern writer-producer has gone before. He and other contributors to the show used science-fiction to project their imagination‚ vision‚ passion‚ and angst about the world into the adventures of one military starship exploring the universe while attempting to maintain peace. In Joe Biden’s America‚ adventure‚ exploration‚ and peace are no longer futuristic elements but extinct ones. But Star Trek was there first. (READ MORE from Lou Aguilar: Laura and the Feminist Delusion) Four years ago‚ during the 2020 election‚ I warned in The American Spectator that candidate Biden was the personification of John Gill from the Star Trek episode‚ Patterns of Force. Gill was a once respected‚ now near mindless leader drugged up to appear physically and mentally competent in order to figurehead a new Nazi Reich. The real power behind Gill has formed a police state where resistors are shot or jailed. Sound familiar? Star Trek was there first. But too many citizens failed to heed my warning via Star Trek‚ and questionably elected Joe “John Gill’ Biden president. The result has been predictably‚ lamentably‚ interminably catastrophic. In four years‚ we’ve had 13 servicemembers killed and many more wounded during a disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal‚ two ongoing wars‚ millions of illegal aliens pouring across the open border‚ an economy in shambles‚ normalized crime‚ barbarized major cities‚ political opponents imprisoned and/or persecuted‚ and dangerously short military recruitment levels. In Star Trek‚ Captain James T. Kirk inspired real men to join a space force: They used to say if Man could fly‚ he’d have wings. But he did fly. He discovered he had to. Do you wish that the first Apollo mission hadn’t reached the moon? [This episode‚ Return to Tomorrow‚ aired in February 1968‚ more than a year before the first Apollo mission did reach the moon.] Or that we hadn’t gone on to Mars‚ then to the nearest star? That’s like saying that you wished you still operated with scalpels and sewed your patients up with catgut like your great‚ great‚ great‚ great grandfather used to … Dr. McCoy is right in pointing out the enormous danger potential in any contact with life and intelligence as fantastically advanced as this. But I must point out that the possibility‚ the potential for knowledge and advancement is equally great. Risk — risk is our business. That’s what this starship is all about. That’s why we’re aboard her. Compare Captain Kirk’s inspiring speech to the one given last week by United States Space Force Lieutenant-Colonel Bree Fram‚ a man who identifies as a woman. All too often‚ I hear leaders talk about providing everyone with dignity and respect like it’s an aspirational goal. That’s not good enough. Dignity and respect is the bare minimum. It’s the floor of where we can be. We must set our sights higher and focus on intentional inclusivity. Because there are still far too many people out there — not just LGBTQ individuals — that feel marginalized‚ shut out‚ and discriminated against … So for all of you out there. I ask you to set out your symbols of pride‚ share your pronouns in your emails‚ particularly if you’re a person who doesn’t feel they need to. Fram’s speech might swell military enlistment with the kind of people the Armed Forces needs — in a Star Trek: The Next Generation fantasy. Apart from his high rank in U.S. Space Force‚ Fram co-leads the Department of the Air Force LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team. The fact that the Air Force even has an LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team must delight war strategists in Beijing‚ Moscow‚ and Tehran. Yet it’s a Biden Administration priority. Because compared to vegetating candidate “John Gill” Biden in 2020‚ President Biden is Mr. Spock after an advanced alien female removed his brain. The Season Three opener‚ Spock’s Brain‚ is one of the weakest episodes of the entire series. In it‚ the Enterprise crew searches through a solar system for Spock’s brain‚ stolen by an alien with a technology beyond 23rd century human capability. Yet even this lesser episode anticipated Joe Biden who‚ like the brainless Spock‚ cannot function unless directed by remote control. (READ MORE: The Conservative Writer’s Block) There’s one more political lesson that can be learned from classic Star Trek‚ which may predict the election result this November. In the episode‚ The Deadly Years‚ Captain Kirk gets relieved of command and replaced by an incompetent fool. Very soon‚ the Enterprise is surrounded by Romulan warships and targeted for destruction with the new captain at a total loss. “What am I going to do?” he whines to himself. Only Kirk’s timely return saves the ship. Hopefully‚ another displaced leader’s comeback will rescue the ship of state this year. The post The Star Trek Election‚ Part II: Biden’s Brain appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

On Saturday‚ an unnamed source in the Biden administration said that the Israelis had “essentially” endorsed a “framework” for a long-term cease fire in the Gaza Strip. The deal reportedly would result in the release of some of the hostages Hamas took during their October 7 attack on Israel. There was no news of whether Hamas would accept the deal. The Biden administration announcement was almost certainly wishful thinking. The Israelis have said that Hamas has until the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins — on about March 10 — to release the hostages or face a renewed Israeli offensive in southern Gaza‚ centering around the city of Rafah. Meanwhile‚ Iran has … given the green light to its main proxy force‚ Hizballah‚ to escalate attacks on Israel. President Biden is fumbling‚ flailing‚ and failing to meet the demands of his anti-Israel supporters. In the Michigan primary last week Muslim anti-Israel groups wanted to get ten thousand voters to just vote “uncommitted” to show their contempt for Biden. It turned out that the anti-Israel groups got over 100‚000 voters to vote “uncommitted‚ which has thrown Biden into a panic. (Muslims number about 250‚000 in Michigan.) (READ MORE from Jed Babbin: Ukraine‚ Putin‚ Congress‚ and Trump) Biden’s panic is reflected in several things‚ not the least of which is his sudden decision to conduct air drops of food and other supplies into the Gaza Strip. In the past few weeks‚ Biden has been ruthlessly pressuring the Israelis for a cease-fire agreement and they’ve been ignoring his demands while Hamas still holds more than one hundred hostages. For the Israelis to “essentially” agree to a “framework” is meaningless unless Hamas agrees to give up its hostages. If Hamas releases the hostages by March 10‚ there is a shot at a long-term cease fire‚ but nothing more than that. That’s because a long-term cease-fire which begins before Israel has destroyed Hamas‚ its leadership‚ and its infrastructure in Gaza will mean that the terrorist group will recover and retake governance of the Gaza Strip. Israel — after the October 7 attack which killed at least 1‚200 Israelis and saw more than 240 taken hostage — cannot allow that and still have any security for its citizens. Ramadan is supposed to be a time of daylong fasting for Muslims‚ a time for peace and prayer. It often isn’t. Many wars between Muslims have begun during Ramadan‚ as well as their most famous attack on Israel which occurred on October 6‚ 1973. Then‚ the Egyptians and Syrians launched coordinated attacks on Israel on the Jews’ highest holy day of Yom Kippur. Israeli air forces were devastated in the first days of that war. The U.S. Air Force was preparing to fly into the fight when the Israelis turned the tide and won. My college roommate‚ the late great Ed Atkins‚ later told me his F-4 was being armed and fueled to enter the fight when the Israelis’ counter-attacks obviated the need for U.S. intervention. Hamas isn’t likely to accept Biden’s latest terms even thou terms don’t require the release of all its hostages. Only the release of women‚ children‚ and the elderly hostages are reportedly included in the deal’s “framework.” (READ MORE: Biden Blackmails Israel) Israel‚ rightly‚ wants all Hamas’ hostages released before it will agree to a cease-fire of any length. At this writing‚ they haven’t given in on that point. Biden’s pro-Hamas‚ anti-Israel voting block put a big scare into the White House with their Michigan vote. Polls — not that they mean anything at this stage of the race — indicate that Trump will carry most if not all “swing states.” Biden will continue to pressure Israel because it is dependent on U.S. military aid. He has already threatened to cut off that aid unless Israel can show‚ within the next few weeks‚ that it is complying with all U.S. humanitarian laws. They will try to do so‚ but Biden — scared by the Michigan vote — may not accept their answers. Hamas is winning the propaganda war. Their press releases — which obviously can’t be trusted — say that thirty thousand civilians‚ mostly women and children‚ have been killed in the Gaza fighting. Most U.S. and international media accept the Hamas numbers as gospel. The Hamas number doesn’t differentiate between terrorists and civilians. Israel contends that it has killed at least ten thousand Hamas terrorists in its Gaza campaign. It is apparently closing in on Hamas’ leaders including Yayha Sinwar‚ who is believed to be hiding in Rafah. Ismail Haniyeh‚ Hamas’ top commander‚ has been shuttling between Qatar and Iran. On Friday‚ after about one hundred Gazans died in a rush to get supplies — some reportedly shot by Israeli troops — Biden said‚ “We’re trying to work out a deal between Israel and Hamas‚ the hostages being returned‚ and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for at least the next six weeks.” He added there was “no excuse” for aid not being sent into Gaza. That was his excuse for the airdrops‚ most of which will fall into the hands of Hamas. Meanwhile‚ Iran has — according to a report by the Jerusalem Post — given the green light to its main proxy force‚ Hizballah‚ to escalate attacks on Israel. The Jerusalem Post report relied on reports by the Arab Post which‚ in turn‚ relied on “high-level Iranian and Lebanese sources.” The two-front war has been waged by Hizballah for weeks. Once the Israelis attack Rafah‚ that escalation will certainly occur and the war will threaten Israel’s survival. Israel has already kicked its war against terrorists in Syria into high gear. It is fighting a three-front war now and cannot win without U.S. aid. Neither Hamas nor Hizballah care about civilian casualties in Gaza. Their only objective is to destroy Israel. Biden still insists on a “two-state solution” to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that creation of a Palestinian state would be an enormous reward for terrorism. He’s entirely correct. (READ MORE: Israel’s Implacable Court) Unless Hamas releases all Israeli hostages by March 10‚ Israel will make its assault on southern Gaza‚ Rafah‚ and the remnants of Hamas. Sinwar may escape to Qatar or across to Egypt‚ which has‚ by the way‚ refused — as have all Arab states — to accept Palestinian refugees from the fighting. Israel will probably win the coming Ramadan war but Hamas will win the propaganda war. Our media‚ and its international counterparts‚ will make sure of that. The post The Coming Ramadan War appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.