Tuesday night at the RNC was a unity night. Donald Trump promised a unity convention among Republicans. The unity is obviously materializing. There is a Marxist materialist view of history that says individual figures don’t matter. It dates back to Hegel, actually predating Marx, and it suggests that we ride the eddies of history, that history is a series of impersonal forces, and that individual figures don’t matter. It would argue that if there were no Churchill, there would have been somebody similar to Churchill who would have performed the same function; if there were no Hitler, there would have been someone like Hitler who performed that same function. There’s a countervailing view, derisively termed the “great man” view of history, which is the idea that individuals matter in history. And that idea is true. Donald Trump is one more example of the fact that individual figures actually do shape history, whether for good or for ill. The way the Republican Party is coming together around Trump is something absolutely unique. Republicans came together around other candidates. They’ve come together in conventions around Mitt Romney and John McCain. But the level of enthusiasm for Trump on a personal level, the obvious level of adoration in the hall for him, and the capacity he has to cobble together a coalition that really is non-ideological are unique. Trump is not an ideological figure, and because he is not, he has not formed an ideological party. That doesn’t mean the actual policies that come out of his administration won’t be ideological; his first term was very ideological, a fairly conservative administration — ideologically more conservative than George W. Bush’s administration, at least when it came to the courts or foreign policy. But when it comes to Trump’s coalition, it is entirely non-ideological. I’ve heard a lot of complaints, which I agree with on a moral level: Why are some of the people speaking at the convention as if they have nothing to do with conservatism? They’re not spokespeople for conservatism. WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show But I don’t think that’s what the RNC is for. The RNC is a showcase. It’s a permission structure for people to join the tent. Politics is all about coalitions. It’s about coalition building. It’s about how many people you can give permission to so they can join your side against the other side. Trump has built a massive anti-Left coalition. As the Left has gone off the rails again, there’s a reactivity to American politics because Trump is who Trump is. Because the Left went completely off the rails, they forced everybody in the middle to Trump’s side. What happened, for example, with Elon Musk is similar to what happened with me. I was not a voter for Donald Trump in 2016. I didn’t vote for either candidate in 2016 because, frankly, I didn’t like either candidate. Then the Left went completely off the rails, and Trump gave me more conservative policy than I thought I was going to get. I voted for him in 2020, and then the Left went even further off the rails. Now, I’ve donated and held a fundraiser for Trump’s 2024 campaign. JD Vance, the vice-presidential candidate, did the same sort of thing. Vance was more strenuously anti-Trump than I was in 2016. By 2020, he backed Trump. In 2024, he became a vice presidential candidate. That’s because Trump has a unique capacity as a non-ideological, larger-than-life figure to hold together coalitions that include people who are both pro-life and pro-choice, people who are pro-gay marriage and anti-gay marriage. He’s able to cobble together a coalition between union leaders and people who think that right to work is a top priority. It’s a non-ideological coalition, and that’s what the RNC is about. People who are criticizing the RNC platform don’t understand that the RNC platform is not an actual policy statement that matters. It just isn’t. That’s not what the RNC is for anymore. There may have been a time when the RNC platform mattered, but the RNC is not a tool for ideology any longer. It is not where you look to determine what Republicans or conservatives think. It is merely a tool for victory, and it’s particularly a tool for victory for Donald Trump in this election cycle. So you’re seeing an extraordinarily large tent, a tent that’s largely unsupportable ideologically in the sense that the actual tent poles are so far apart that in any normal circumstance, they would collapse in on themselves. But because Trump is at the center of that tent and he’s an extraordinarily large and powerful supporting and buttressing force in the center of that tent, that tent can hold. That’s what you’re seeing at the Republican National Convention right now.

Special counsel Jack Smith has formally begun the process of appealing a federal judge’s decision this week to dismiss the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. In a brief notice filed to the docket on Wednesday, prosecutors said, “The United States of America hereby gives notice that it appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit from the order of the District Court entered on July 15, 2024.” District Court Judge Aileen Cannon of Florida, who was nominated to her position by Trump, tossed the case against the former president and his co-defendants in a ruling on Monday. She agreed with defense attorneys who argued that Smith’s appointment as special counsel, done by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, was unconstitutional because it did not involve congressional approval. Peter Carr, a spokesman for Smith, previously indicated that the special counsel would file an appeal to the Eleventh Circuit, which is located in Atlanta. The dismissal “deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a Special Counsel,” Carr said in a statement. “The Justice Department has authorized the Special Counsel to appeal the court’s order.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Trump responded to the dismissal in a post to Truth Social, making reference to surviving an assassination attempt over the weekend and the other legal matters he faces while seeking another term in the White House — including a 2020 election prosecution led by Smith in the nation’s capital. “As we move forward in Uniting our Nation after the horrific events on Saturday, this dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts — The January 6th Hoax in Washington, D.C., the Manhattan D.A.’s Zombie Case, the New York A.G. Scam, Fake Claims about a woman I never met (a decades old photo in a line with her then husband does not count), and the Georgia ‘Perfect’ Phone Call charges,'” Trump said. He continued, “The Democrat Justice Department coordinated ALL of these Political Attacks, which are an Election Interference conspiracy against Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, ME. Let us come together to END all Weaponization of our Justice System, and Make America Great Again!”

'Really comically unloading'

The administration has let every failure slide by without officials paying the price

'Violence is not the way to go'

'It is vital that State complies'

'I don’t want to say he’s not being honest'

The state of Wisconsin has become a particular area of concentration for me, thanks to the late Linda Godfrey's cryptid investigations and the submissions by the fantastic readers at 'Phantoms and Monsters'. The following accounts describe another strange creature from Wisconsin:Witness' drawingThis encounter happened on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006, on Briggs Road near LaCrosse, Wisconsin around 9:30 pm to a 53-year-old resident who prefers to be known only by his Cherokee name, Wohali, and the man's 25-year-old son. The creature they encountered was 6-7 feet tall with batlike, leathery wings with a span of 10-12 feet, long claws on its feet and hands, and a snarling expression on its face. It flew towards their windshield, stared at them, and swooped upwards into the night sky.The creature "screamed" at them before sailing straight up into the air. Wohali stated that he did not know whether the creature had been on the road and then bounced up at them, or if it had been flying at the time it came at their car. He was sure the thing was a physical, actual creature, he said, but like nothing he had ever seen before. Their reaction? Immediate illness. In seconds, both became physically ill and the son, who was driving, swerved and then pulled the truck over into the ditch so he could vomit. The son, who wishes his identity kept private, vomited six or seven times. Wohali retched, as well, and both remained sick for an entire week. The son was so frightened by the encounter that he refuses to discuss it. But Wohali told me he feels it's important for people to "know what is out there."Wohali also described seeing "distended ribs, long sort of human legs with claws, huge bat-like wings with 'arms' sort of attached, I remember the teeth and the scream we heard was terrifying."Wohali’s account and his sincerity convinced Godfrey that he had a “credible sighting” of something she had not heard described before. “He certainly has nothing to gain by making it up” — or talking about it, she said. “He believes the more he talks about it, the more power it gives the creature.”Godfrey said she feels it is important that somebody record these experiences. The Man-Bat of Briggs Road ranks right up there as far as notable weird experiences.“I do think this sighting that Wohali had is an extremely interesting and exciting sighting,” Godfrey said. “I do think it should have some serious consideration given to it.”There was another similar entity reported when a man and boy were searching for a lost dog. "They saw what they described as a 'lizard man' covered in brownish scales and very reptilian-looking. It did not have its mouth open or arms extended". Around the same time, a state DNR warden and separately, a group of highway workers saw what they described as a 'reptile man' on Hwy. 13 near Medford. It also possessed wings and was able to fly out of their view. The Medford spot was very near the Black River which winds up from LaCrosse!"NOTE: Since these sightings, some people have suggested that this creature may have been a Mothman who appeared previous to several mysterious drownings in the LaCrosse area. Could these sightings have been related to the Chicago/Lake Michigan Mothman phenomenon? LonSources:lacrossetribune.com/couleenews/Strange Wisconsin: More Badger State Weirdness - Linda S. GodfreyHidden Animals: A Field Guide to Batsquatch, Chupacabra, and Other Elusive Creatures - Michael Newton**********POLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!FERAL PEOPLE & WILD MEN - ISOLATED HOMININS | Join Us - LIVE CHAT | Q & A (REAL EYEWITNESS REPORTS!)LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming& FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTube'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINES----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio member - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----CREEPY CAMPING ENCOUNTERS - ABOMINABLE CREATURES | LIVE CHAT | Q & A (REAL EYEWITNESS REPORTS!)I hear and read cryptid encounter reports daily. There are risks and dangers in the wilderness. Most campers, hikers, and hunters research and respect any wildlife or environmental pitfalls before heading to the location.But how can these people protect themselves from a creature they are told doesn't exist? An anomalous being that is so abominable that it's difficult for the human mind to comprehend.I'll examine several reports that I have received over the years so that you can develop your rationale for their existence.-----Project Threshold: Finale-----Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs,CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.This blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms & Monsters - All Rights Reserved

A retired Tarrant County, Texas Deputy Sheriff reported an incident that he had with shooting red laser-like beams. He lost power to his truck and cell phone. What happened?I received the following account from an inquiry:"At the time, I was a retired deputy sheriff from Tarrant County, Fort Worth, Texas. In November 2001 I was driving on my way to work early in the morning on Highway 377. I left Granbury, Texas, and was entering the city of Benbrook, Texas. To my right, at the Wills Ranch, I saw a light source on the ground near large power lines. It was shooting red laser beams in the air.I had WBAP AM radio on waiting for the news. Suddenly the announcer asked if anyone had seen strange lights near Benbrook to please call the station. I called the station and started explaining what I was witnessing. Suddenly as I was talking on live radio I was hit by some type of energy. It felt like warm syrup pouring on my head and going all the way to my feet.The weird part is my Silverado pick-up suddenly lost all power. The electrical system shut down. My cell phone went dead. I had to coast to the side of the highway and stop. I checked my watch to see if I had lost any time. I felt very tired and paralyzed. I could not continue my conversation with the announcer. Before this happened the announcer asked what else I had seen. I told him I saw a high-winged single-engine airplane flying very near the light source. The announcer said this was their spotter plane.About 20 minutes later I was able to start my truck. My cell phone came back on so I continued to my daily briefing at work. Other deputies met me and laughed about me seeing a UFO. I never mentioned a UFO, only a light source.That afternoon I called WBAP radio station and asked if they found out what the light source was. They didn't know but said several people had called to report the same thing I saw. The incident was never in the newspaper. For some reason, it had to be a secret. To this day I have never been able to find out what this was."JLGranbury, TexasNOTE: If anyone can provide further information on this encounter, I'd appreciate it. Thanks. Lon**********POLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!FERAL PEOPLE & WILD MEN - ISOLATED HOMININS | Join Us - LIVE CHAT | Q & A (REAL EYEWITNESS REPORTS!)LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming& FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTube'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINES----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio member - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----CREEPY CAMPING ENCOUNTERS - ABOMINABLE CREATURES | LIVE CHAT | Q & A (REAL EYEWITNESS REPORTS!)I hear and read cryptid encounter reports daily. There are risks and dangers in the wilderness. Most campers, hikers, and hunters research and respect any wildlife or environmental pitfalls before heading to the location.But how can these people protect themselves from a creature they are told doesn't exist? An anomalous being that is so abominable that it's difficult for the human mind to comprehend.I'll examine several reports that I have received over the years so that you can develop your rationale for their existence.-----Project Threshold: Finale-----Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs,CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.This blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms & Monsters - All Rights Reserved

Books book annoucement Tor Books Acquires Epic Fantasy Romance Saga From Ilona Andrews Game of Thrones meets Outlander in Maggie the Undying By Reactor | Published on July 17, 2024 Photo credit: Cécile Lederman Comment 1 Share New Share Photo credit: Cécile Lederman Tor Books is thrilled to announce a legendary new acquisition from #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews: an original epic fantasy romance saga that blends elements of heroic fantasy, romantasy, portal isekai, and D&D with the authors’ signature blend of humor, emotion, action, and imagination. Game of Thrones meets Outlander in Maggie the Undying:When Maggie wakes up cold, naked, and filthy in Kair Toren, a city in the kingdom of Rellas, she recognizes it immediately. It’s the world she knows intimately from the pages of an unfinished dark fantasy series she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.With no idea how or why she’s landed in this gritty, violent world, she’s determined to survive until she can figure out how to get home with her only tools—an encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, settings, and the characters’ actions, motivations, and fates: information she can sell to the highest bidder—all while staying under the radar so as not to affect the very information she plans to barter.And she discovers another, surprising “skill”: she cannot be killed (though many will try). Soon, as she becomes more attached to the motley band she’s somehow gathered—which includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, a dangerous soldier, and various outrageous creatures—she abandons all thoughts of lying low for her own survival. Instead, she finds herself trying to save them, and the Kingdom of Rellas, from the cataclysmic war she knows is coming. The pseudonym for husband-and-wife writing team Ilona and Andrew Gordon, Ilona Andrews is a titan of the fantasy and romance genres. They are the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors of beloved fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction titles including the Kate Daniels, Hidden Legacy, Edge, and Innkeeper Chronicles series, with more than 3.5 million books in print. Tor Publishing Group is delighted to welcome them to the Tor fantasy list with Maggie the Undying. From Ilona Andrews: “It is very rare to find a publisher that understands the heart of a book as well as Tor understood Maggie. Our editorial experience so far has been beyond all expectations. To be able to sit down and really discuss the story, the themes, and the characters on a level that goes far beyond the typical editorial letter has been enormously beneficial to our creativity. Books are written by writers, but they are brought into the world by a team of publishers, editors, proofreaders, artists,  and designers. We are so excited to have found the perfect team for this book, and we can’t wait to see what Tor will do with Maggie.” Editor Stephanie Stein added: “Working with Ilona and Gordon is an absolute dream, and I cannot wait for readers to devour this incredible new Ilona Andrews series the way I have. For anyone who’s ever wondered if they’d last five minutes in Westeros—or knows they wouldn’t—this genre-savvy, immersive, romantic love letter to portal fantasy and isekai tropes is an adventure not to be missed. Hold on to your schemes (and your hearts): this is going to be epic.” Tor Books Senior Editor Stephanie Stein pre-empted the series in a three-book, seven-figure deal brokered by Nancy Yost of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency. The post Tor Books Acquires Epic Fantasy Romance Saga From Ilona Andrews appeared first on Reactor.