Trump's leads grow against Biden among likely voters

'We will not shy away'

A father-son pair recently surprised their grandfather by repairing his 70-year-old pickup truck to a fully functioning automobile, and the video will bring a tear to your eye. “50 dollars and a hog” is what Richard Kincheloe’s mother paid for a red, 1954 International Harvester pickup truck, which Richard, now a grandfather, drove around for […] The post Grandson Surprises Grandpa by Restoring 1954 Pickup: ‘I never thought I’d live to see that’ appeared first on Good News Network.

Movies & TV Star Trek: Discovery Star Trek: Discovery’s Blu del Barrio Shares Their Secret to Memorizing Technobabble See also: the serious difficulties in wearing those Breen suits By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on May 23, 2024 Credit: James Dimmock / Paramount+ TM & © 2023 CBS Studios Inc. Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: James Dimmock / Paramount+ TM & © 2023 CBS Studios Inc. Warning: the article below contains mild spoilers for Season Five, Episode Nine of Star Trek: Discovery. In the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery, “Lagrange Point,” sees Adira join a mission that requires them to not only sneak onto a Breen ship, but pretend to be a fully suited-up Breen as well. The experience was a memorable one for the character and also for actor Blu del Barrio. “With all the love and respect to our costume department, [the suit was] one of the worst things I’ve ever put on my body,” del Barrio told me in an interview a couple of days before “Lagrange Point” dropped on Paramount+. They went on to describe the Breen attire as beautifully created, but also a costume that felt “like wearing seven different wetsuits on top of each other.” I talked with del Barrio about other aspects of the penultimate episode of the series, including that meta science jargon moment, how they were able to tackle memorizing the complex science-related dialogue over the course of the show, and what they hope for Adira given the series finale is next week. Read on for our longer discussion. Credit: Michael Gibson / Paramount+ The interview below has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. How did you prepare to portray Adira when they see action on the Breen ship? It was really fun. I felt different than how I felt from the first away missions that I had. Me, myself, was like, “Oh, yeah, I’ve been ready for this for a hot minute.” And when we did actually film on the ship, fully disguised, all of a sudden hit like, “Oh, gosh, maybe I’m not ready for this. This is a lot and very scary. I’m so short and I don’t fit in.” It was like all of a sudden thinking about all of the ways that this wasn’t going to work. Technically, within the episode in the story, it was like, I could totally mess this up. But I think they had a lot more confidence than they used to have, prior to going on this mission and doing it with [co-star Patrick Kwok-Choon, who plays Gen Rhys,] was so much fun and something that I really wanted to do for a long time. And I think the mission itself had so much weight on it. It’s not something that they would have been trusted with probably in past seasons, and I think it cemented a lot for them how necessary they are and how valued and respected they are on the ship, to be trusted with something like this. Credit: Michael Gibson / Paramount+ And I know you mentioned getting suited up for the scenes. What was it like wearing those Breen suits? With all the love and respect to our costume department, they were the worst things I’ve ever put on my body. They are so meticulously crafted, and beautiful, and took so long to make. We had I think four or five fittings each over a period of months to actually finish these. So they were a complete work of art, but to wear they were absolute hell because they were so thick. It was like wearing seven different wetsuits on top of each other. And they’re really heavy, plus with a giant helmet on you had a very limited visual of what you can actually see. So wearing them was really discombobulating but they looked so cool, so it was worth it. But walking around and pretending like you feel comfortable and you know where you’re going in all this stuff was really hard to start with because there’s just so much sensory overload. But they were really cool. They’re beautiful. I didn’t think about that with the headpiece. How much could you see? Was there any running into walls or anything? I ran my hands into stuff because I think my peripheral was a little bit messed up. If you had to look at somebody, you would have to actually move your whole head, which for me I had to a lot because I was multiple feet shorter than everybody else who was playing Breen, and also shorter than Patrick. That was the first thing I thought when we were going to do that: I was like, they’re all going to know that I’m not Breen—I’m 5’2,” everyone here is very tall. But we had to skirt around that in a way that makes sense. Credit: Michael Gibson / Paramount+ One of the things I loved about this episode is that there’s almost a meta moment when you’re going on the shuttle for the away mission and Adira says they can’t transport to where they planned because of a “science reason.” I don’t know if it was intentional, but usually the science jargon is so prevalent, I feel like that moment was a nod to that. Did you have that feeling when you were filming? I think so. I wish I’d come up with that! No, that was fully what it was meant to be, and I think it speaks to their intelligence, and I also think it is a funny little clip. And it’s very Trek and a little bit campy in a way, to be like, “It’s a science problem.” I really liked that line. In that same vein, Adira says a lot of science jargon in the course of any given episode. How do you memorize those lines? Did it get easier over time? It got easier over time. I had struggled in the beginning because I learned through this show how I memorize lines. I realized that my process involves me completely 100% understanding why I’m saying what I’m saying in the context of a conversation that I’m having. So like, I’ll remember my lines if it makes sense to say it in the conversation that they’re being said in. If it just flows naturally, it makes sense. So when the science jargon came in, I didn’t know why those lines weren’t sticking because I would just sit there and do all of my stuff and go through my process of learning my lines and they would not stick. After talking to people on our set, I think it was [Anthony Rapp] specifically, but I had learned that I had to understand what the science meant and the intricacies of what every single line I was saying meant, which took so much extra time.  I would contact our writers for questions and contact our science people for questions, to understand what it was that I was describing and talking about and how the science worked. Because if not, they wouldn’t stick in my head. I love those lines, but they also took so much more time for me to get down. So when we had scenes just full of science jargon, I was like, “Oh, God. This is going to take days of trying to it figure out.” Credit: Paramount+ You mentioned Anthony giving you that tip. I know you joined the show a couple of seasons in—was there any advice or tips you got from any of your castmates that will be really helpful as you go on with your acting career? I would not be the actor or person that I am now without the amount of advice that I got from everybody on this show. I was so young. I was fresh out of drama school. I was so scared and had a very low self-worth, because I loved drama school but they always kind of kick you down a little bit. You don’t expect to get a job that soon and so suddenly I was there and all of these people around me gave me so much advice. I feel a level of confidence and security now in who I am and what I do that I don’t think I would have felt without the words that they’ve given me and told me. I really needed it at the time and still now, but they very much mentored me in every way possible without me asking or anything. So I’m really grateful to them. Is there anything specific that jumps to the top of the list? I think probably the most important thing does apply to sets but also applies to real life—if there is something that in your gut feels uncomfortable or wrong, no matter what, speak up about it and say something, even if you think it’s going to cause an argument or a fight or someone’s going to get mad at you.  And ask someone for help doing it, which I never really thought to do. I’m a very solitary person and so I always just think that I need to do things, but they were like, “No, if you want our help, just come to us and we’ll do it with you.” Credit: Marni Grossman / Paramount+ What do you hope for Adira after the show ends? It’s split in two parts. On one side, I really think that Adira following in the footsteps of Tilly would be really cool. I think that them teaching in the future as an adult would be really, really cool to see happen, because I think they’d have a lot of a lot of empathy for those students. That’s one option. The other option I don’t fully have a grasp on, but way down in their lifetime to be a captain on a different ship would be really interesting, to see the jump from them now to them then would be very cool. I hope that they get to have something in the future. I love this character so much. They’re such a part of me, and I hope they get to live in the future the way that so many of the Trek characters have come back. But you never know. [end-mark] The series finale of Star Trek: Discovery will be available on Paramount+ on May 30, 2024. The post <i>Star Trek: Discovery</i>’s Blu del Barrio Shares Their Secret to Memorizing Technobabble appeared first on Reactor.

Books SFF Mentors Five of SFF’s Wisest and Quirkiest Mentors From clever young witches to itinerant monks, there’s much to learn from each of these unconventional characters! By Cole Rush | Published on May 23, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share You know them, you love them: Quirky mentor figures are a cornerstone of the SFF genre. They impart lessons to us as they guide their misguided or misunderstood mentees toward a better path. Their teachings can help prompt a hero toward self-discovery, give them the tools to choose right over wrong, or open their minds to new perspectives. Their charming eccentricities and pithy quotes stick with us long after we close the final page. And when a mentor tragically passes away, as mentors sometimes do… there are few losses more heartbreaking, or more lasting. Today, we’re here to pay homage to five great mentors from SFF books. I invite you to celebrate your own favorites in the comments—nominate your wisest and quirkiest fictional mentors there, and if you’re in a sharing mood, feel free to add your favorite lessons or quotes! Ana Dolabra (The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett) A murderous plot. A mysterious (and lethal) plant. Shady characters. A society under constant threat. These are the driving elements of Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup. The book recently featured on my list of SFF mysteries, and it appears again today so that we can shine a spotlight on the glorious and enigmatic Ana Dolabra. Protagonist Dinios Kol works for Ana Dolabra on various investigations. Din is an engraver, able to capture memories and log them in his brain to be magically recalled in the future. This makes him an ideal investigator. Ana is also a grafted (magically altered) individual, or at least it’s strongly hinted that she is. Despite not knowing what her enhancements might be, readers are sure to be fascinated by this quixotic and brilliant eccentric with a sharp tongue and all sorts of undiscovered secrets. As the story unfolds, it’s as though we’re seeing the mystery (and their mentor/mentee relationship) through the admittedly capable eyes of Din, as the Watson figure. All the while, Holmes (Ana, in this case) is six steps ahead. When Din unravels a piece of the puzzle, we find that Ana had figured it out long before he did. Bit by bit, we get to know one of SFF’s quirkiest mentors in recent memory, one who seems to want the best for her charge but clearly has motives of her own. In other words, Ana isn’t just a vehicle for Din’s character arc. She is a dynamic character with big plans. It makes you wonder whether her mentorship and acceptance of Din are altogether benevolent. Ana Dolabra consistently undercuts and upends our expectations, and The Tainted Cup is better for it. Mika Moon (The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna) Mika Moon arguably subverts the norm for SFF mentors simply by being the protagonist of her story—stories seem to focus more on the development of the mentee figure, with their teacher serving to guide them along their journey. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches has several characters that could find a place on this list, but Mika stands out above the rest. Thrust into an unexpected situation where she must teach three young witches to control their magic; she finds herself being absorbed into a small, secluded household, surrounded by well-meaning people with a lot to learn. Mika’s experience as a witch up to that point had been one of loneliness and isolation. Witches are stay solitary as a rule, rarely keeping friends or staying in one place for long. The risks of being discovered as a magic user have been driven home by the long history of violence and barbaric punishments spread out across the centuries—nobody wants a repeat of Salem. By cleverly planting Mika Moon into a friendly and loving environment (and providing her with more and more reasons to stay, despite her misgivings), author Sangu Mandanna gives our protagonist space to grow and share her wisdom. Mika easily makes this list because she is knowledgeable, kind, and a little bit quirky. She’s especially good with plant- and nature-based magic. Perhaps best of all, she has lots to learn about herself, even as she grows to care for her young charges. This creates a two-way mentorship environment: Mika opens up and shares her true self with the kids and the denizens of their remote country house while absorbing lessons about interdependence, trust, and love from these new friends and loved ones in turn. Arthur Parnassus (The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune) The sweet and delightfully eccentric Arthur Parnassus is among my favorite father figures in all of fantasy. He manages his band of little ones, all magical misfits, with great care and empathy. He’s also a strong mentor, deftly imparting lessons through experience instead of lecturing. Throughout The House in the Cerulean Sea, we witness Arthur teach the magical youth in his care about pursuing their passions and loving without prejudice. However, he’s not without his flaws. He is (justifiably) reticent to bring the children to a local village, fearful of the discrimination they might face in the world beyond his idyllic seaside home. Arthur also has a fiery secret of his own, and he goes to great lengths to keep it from Linus, our protagonist. What makes a good mentor? To me, it’s crucial to understand your own flaws—and working on them—while sharing what you’ve learned with others. Arthur is a perfect example—and on top of his excellent guidance and compassion, Arthur also has an incredible fashion sense. (His coffee-shop loungewear chic vibe just works for me…) Halt (The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan) The unlikely ranger/apprentice partnership between Halt and Will still makes me smile. I was thoroughly obsessed with John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series back in the day, and it holds a special place in my heart as a gateway to big ol’ sweeping epic fantasy narratives. Halt is essentially the father Will never had. He’s also a grizzly, gruff, and stubborn old man who has no qualms about doling out tough love. The relationship between the two grows ever more endearing as the series progresses, solidifying it as one of my favorite mentorship arcs in fantasy. I more inclined to enjoy a story where mentors aren’t perfect, cookie-cutter wise folk who feel like they were cut completely out of morally good cloth, without any nuance or weak points. Halt has problems, and he is as open to learning as he is to teaching. There are many moments in the series in which Halt finds himself in deadly trouble, and Will must apply his teacher’s lessons to save Halt. It’s a wonderful depiction of the give-and-take of a mentor/mentee relationship, and it made me want to seek out SFF books with similar pairings. Dex (A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers) Sibling Dex leaves their corporate desk job for a wandering life in a tea cart. They use their itinerant lifestyle to meet and offer a sympathetic ear to people while sharing tea—a skill few people have mastered (except for Uncle Iroh, of course). Dex’s approach to mentorship is mirror-like, allowing their patrons to freely express their worries and conundrums, think things through and formulate their own solutions. Dex, as a mentor, creates a safe space and simply listens…and that’s arguably the best thing a mentor can do for their pupils. Dex’s own journey, however, isn’t so cut-and-dry. They become disenchanted with the nomadic lifestyle and pine for adventure. A wise mentor takes time to do what they need for themselves, and Dex is a prime example of listening to their own needs, and extending the same compassion they have for others to their own existence. Sometimes, the best mentor is the one in our heads. Or a friendly robot (read the book, and it will all make sense—I promise). [end-mark] The post Five of SFF’s Wisest and Quirkiest Mentors appeared first on Reactor.

China Launches Show of Force Around Taiwan

Avoid UCLA-Educated Doctors, Part II: Westwood's DEI Blue, and Yale Too

In a startling revelation, a high-ranking military officer has unequivocally stated that non-human intelligence exists on Earth, warning that the full disclosure of this information could have catastrophic consequences. This disclosure was reported by Colonel Karl Nell, and has reignited the debate over the presence of extraterrestrial life and the government’s role in concealing such information. Speaking at the SALT iConnections New York 2024 event in a conversation with Alex Klokus, Founder and Managing Partner at the SALT Fund, Nell stated: “There is zero doubt non-human intelligence exists on Earth.” “So, non-human intelligence exists, non-human intelligence has been interacting with humanity. This interaction is not new, and it’s been ongoing, and unelected people in the government are aware of that.” His statement adds significant weight to the claims of those advocating for greater transparency regarding unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). This revelation aligns with the increasing number of whistleblowers and former officials coming forward to share their experiences and knowledge about UAPs. David Grusch, a former intelligence officer, has also recently made headlines with his assertions about government cover-ups of extraterrestrial technology and encounters. Grusch’s statements have fueled public interest and demands for more comprehensive disclosure from the authorities. The officer’s warning about “catastrophic disclosure” suggests that the implications of revealing the full extent of non-human presence could be far-reaching and potentially destabilizing. This sentiment echoes the concerns of some experts who believe that the public might not be prepared to handle such a paradigm-shifting reality. Over the past few years, the U.S. government has taken steps towards greater transparency regarding UAPs. The establishment of the UAP Task Force and subsequent reports to Congress have marked significant progress. However, many believe that these efforts are just the tip of the iceberg and that much more information remains hidden from the public eye. And we ask ourselves why such statements by high officials themselves remain unnoticed in the mainstream media? The post Senior military officer asserts “zero doubt” of Non-Human Intelligence on Earth appeared first on Anomalien.com.

The "Greater Idaho" movement continues to gain steam, promising to liberate conservative counties east of the Deschutes River from the ruinous policies and Democratic control all but ensured by residents in the more populous leftist areas nearer the coast, such as Mayor Ted Wheeler's crime-ravaged Portland. On Tuesday, Crook County voters were presented with ballot measure 7-86, which asked: "Should Crook County represent that its citizens support efforts to move the Idaho state border to include Crook County?" The majority signaled their support for moving the state border westward and joining their conservative compatriots in the Gem State. The arguments Those opposed to the measure unsuccessfully argued against 7-86 in the State Voters' Pamphlet that joining Idaho was problematic because: Idaho, unlike Oregon, is pro-life; Idaho, unlike Oregon, has a sales tax and a lower minimum wage; Idaho is not as fast and loose when it comes to voter registration; "Idaho does not allow Video Poker Machines in retail establishments"; Moving the border might undercut Oregon's recreational drug sales; "Idaho has no state sponsored healthcare plan for low-income residents"; and Newly minted Idaho residents will have to pay "out of state fees" for hunting, fishing, and camping activities on the Oregon coast. A loss of voters might also mean Oregon could lose representatives in Congress. Citizens for Greater Idaho president Mike McCarter, a firearms instructor from the town of LaPine, alternatively argued, "There is a way to get better governance for central and eastern Oregon. The current location of the Oregon/Idaho border was decided 165 years ago and is now outdated because it doesn't match the location of the dividing line between the counties that prefer Idaho's style of governance and counties that prefer Oregon's style of governance." McCarter further noted the residents of Crook County would receive better representation in Idaho, where the state legislature "is controlled by representatives from rural districts, who govern according to the concerns and priorities of rural counties." McCarter, whose organization has elsewhere suggested that "only 25% of Oregonians who are registered to vote are registered Republican," stressed that the alternative would be to continue living under the thumb of Oregon politicians who "don't understand how we make a living. Their decisions damage industries like timber, mining, trucking, ranching and farming." 'When you go to seek redress and your government doesn't listen to you, where do you turn?' Idaho state Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R) recently told CNN, "Constitutionally, people should have the opportunity to seek redress from their government." "When you go to seek redress and your government doesn't listen to you, where do you turn?" she continued. "These people were seeking redress from the next best thing, which would be us." Greater Idaho executive director Matt McCaw similarly suggested in the voters pamphlet, "The right to choose our own government is a foundational principle of the United States. It's why we hold votes for government office, redistrict every ten years, and have an initiative system that allows voters to refer issues directly to the ballot. The goal of all of these systems is to get government that people actually want and that matches their values." "East-side Oregonians have little voice in their own state government, even less political power, and get a steady barrage of policies forced on us that we don't want and don't reflect our community or values," added McCaw. Evidently, 53.44% of Crook County voters cared more about regaining a political say over their fates than abortion rights, automatic voter registration, sales tax, and slot machines, saying "yes" to ballot measure 7-86. The votes will not be certified until June. The response "The voters of eastern Oregon have spoken loudly and clearly about their desire to see border talks move forward," McCaw said in a statement. "We call on the governor, speaker of the House, and Senate president to sit down with us and discuss next steps towards changing governance for eastern Oregonians, as well as for the legislature to begin holding hearings on what a potential border change will look like." "What they're telling us through these votes is that they want their leaders to move the border. In our system, the people are the ones in charge, and it's time for the leaders representing them to follow through," said McCarter. Greater Idaho suggested that the "yes" vote would likely have been more substantial were it not for the opposition campaign bankrolled by Portland groups. Idaho Gov. Brad Little indicated in 2020 — as the first of the eastern Oregon counties began to vote in favor of leaving Oregon to its troubles — that he liked the idea of a "Greater Idaho." Little told "Fox & Friends" that he understood "what takes place in the Portland area has a big impact on those rural parts of Oregon, and I understand they're looking at Idaho fondly because of our regulatory atmosphere, our values. That doesn't surprise me one bit." Little noted, however, there would be various legal "hurdles" prospective western Idahoans would have to clear first. The U.S. Congress and both the Oregon and Idaho state legislatures would have to approve the border shift. KOIN-TV noted that the Idaho legislature passed a measure last year to begin conversations with Oregon lawmakers about the initiative. Ahead of the talks, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) quipped, "I would entertain a trade for Boise and Sun Valley." Extra to Crook County, the following counties have reportedly passed measures in favor of joining Idaho: Sherman; Morrow; Union; Wallowa; Jefferson; Wheeler; Grant; Baker; Malheur; Harney; Lake; and Klamath. While there has long been an interest in moving the border, Democrat-championed COVID restrictions reportedly helped provide the movement with the traction it needed to get where it is today. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!