Two Minnesota goose hunters were recently at the Mud Goose Management Area when they witnessed a hulking hairy biped on a nearby trail. They later reported it as a Bigfoot sighting to the BFRO.Report # 76477  (Class A)Submitted by witness Jeff Stanley of Lester Prairie on Saturday‚ October 7‚ 2023.Multi-witness daylight sighting 3.5 miles SE of Sixmile Lake (Leech Lake Reservation)YEAR: 2023SEASON: FallMONTH: OctoberDATE: 10/06/2023STATE: MinnesotaCOUNTY: Cass CountyLOCATION DETAILS: Location of figure: 47.2715028‚ -94.0594516NEAREST TOWN: Bena‚ Federal DamNEAREST ROAD: Trails 2127 and 2266OBSERVED: While my mother and I were grouse hunting up by Bena on Sixmile Like Road in the Mud Goose Management Area we both witnessed a Bigfoot.We were traveling down 2127 from East to West and my mom said‚ "Woah‚ back up." Down trail 2266 near the bend‚ we saw a Bigfoot off the trail in the grassy ditch and it slowly moved off the trail west to east. My mom asked me if it felt like it moved in super slow motion. I concurred.The ditch at the site was 3 feet down the grass at the side of the trail was 3 feet tall and the upper torso was 3-4 feet above the grass leaving the Bigfoot to be approximately 8-10 feet tall.We drove to the spot and both noticed a strong sulfur or rotting vegetation. When I got out of the car and immediately felt all my hair stand up on my body. I checked for any sign of footprints on the road. I could not see any due to the gravel being very packed down. There was a small bit of gravel disturbed in one spot near the west side of the road shoulder.We later got stopped by the local CO [Conservation Officer‚ aka Game Warden - checks on hunters]. When we mentioned what we had seen and where it was‚ he remarked that's where people have been reported seeing a bigfoot. My mother and I have no doubt that we saw one.OTHER WITNESSES: 2 myself and mother while grouse huntingTIME AND CONDITIONS: 9:30 am Temp 50 degrees and wind 10-15 mph Overcast.ENVIRONMENT: Forest and lowland swampFollow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Ontario Richardson:I spoke at length with Jeff Stanley and separately with his mother‚ Suzy‚ about their encounter in early October. They were grouse hunting‚ driving slowly along Six Mile Lake Road near Mud Goose Trail.They might not have spotted the figure down the side road if they had not been driving slowly and looking around for grouse. Suzy‚ the mother‚ spotted it first and shouted "What the Hell was that?" Jeff hit the brakes and backed up.Suzy had seen the giant back of what looked like a massive body. When they backed up‚ Jeff shouted “It's moving!”What they saw was the figure turn to a side profile‚ showing the head to the waist of what appeared to be a giant‚ black‚ creature walking into the timber on two feet.Jeff yelled for his mom to get her camera out in case they saw it again.They described it as a hulking‚ Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson figure with a rounded head sitting low on the shoulders. It appeared to be looking down. Its head was almost "swallowed up by the huge shoulders" from their view angle. It had solid‚ dark hair with a uniform pattern over its body. The arms were long and slowly swung as it walked into the woods.Based on the depth of the ditch and the height of the grass it walked through they estimated it at around 8’ tall. Although it walked upright she described it as more ape-like than human.After it disappeared into the woods they drove back to the spot where it was seen. They had a moment to unpack what happened before they got out and walked towards where the figure had stood. They noticed a pungent smell which they described as rotting compost mixed with musty rags. They saw small mounds of dirt pushed up on the ground‚ similar to what a toe would create.Jeff brought up to their dad that they should take some pictures of what they were seeing. His dad said he wasn’t comfortable sticking around any longer‚ so they returned to the car.Later that day they ran into the Game Warden. While he was checking their birds‚ Jeff blurted out what they had seen. The Game Warden responded with “That is where people report seeing those”. This caught the family off guard as they were expecting him to refute what they saw.Jeff and Suzy are both very certain that the huge figure with long arms is not a bear.----NOTE: I am inclined to think they saw a real bigfoot. There are bigfoots in this vicinity. I've heard them with my own ears. There were enough reports around the vicinity for "Finding Bigfoot" to shoot an episode within 5 miles of this location around 10 years ago. The small town of Remer is 16 miles to the south. It calls itself the "Home of Bigfoot" because of the number of sightings around there.Source: https://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=76477 &; https://wjon.com/was-bigfoot-really-spotted-in-northern-minnesota-back-in-october/Sharing the Mountain with Bigfoot: The First Year (Bigfoot Series)Bigfoot and Eastern CousinsBigfoot Nation: The History of Sasquatch in North AmericaThe Bigfoot Book: The Encyclopedia of Sasquatch‚ Yeti and Cryptid PrimatesBeasts of BritainThe Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War (Civil War Trilogy)ALIEN DISCLOSURE: EXPERIENCERS EXPOSE REALITY - AudiobookRegister a SNAP EBT CardTHE MEME HUMANOIDS: MODERN MYTHS OR REAL MONSTERS - AudiobookTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTHAVE A COMMENT? GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSFeel Free to Post PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS DIRECT LINKS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA &; WEBSITE. Thanks For Your Support!Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonAccess Phantoms &; Monsters Post Updates on TELEGRAMSubscribe and join the Chat GroupAccess Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'JOIN US ON TikTok-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----BIGFOOT: REMARKABLE ENCOUNTERS &; STRANGE EVENTS! - LIVE Chat - Q &; A - JOIN US! Lon Strickler (Host)Welcome to Phantoms &; Monsters 'Personal Reports' - cryptid &; unexplained accounts directly from the archives of Phantoms &; Monsters‚ and the Phantoms &; Monster Fortean Research team. Narrated by Lon Strickler. Join us in the chat‚ discuss‚ and ask me questions about the accounts.Featured in this edition:Ever since that unforgettable morning of May 9th‚ 1981‚ when I had my Bigfoot encounter‚ I constantly ask myself‚ 'What did I see that day?' and 'Why did it happen to me?' I can guess that most eyewitnesses to these amazing creatures ask themselves a similar question. But imagine‚ you're in a secluded location or the wilderness and need assistance‚ which arrives in the form of a massive hairy biped. Or‚ say you're simply minding your own business‚ and then suddenly face-to-face with a terrifying‚ unknown beast. How would you react?These reports that I'm about to read are from ordinary people who‚ for whatever reason‚ find themselves in a truly unique situation. Put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine what they were thinking.So‚ relax and listen. I will present the reports in detail and‚ afterward‚ I will attempt to answer your questions from the chat room.-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Team Riker: Division A-----TODAY'S TOP LINKSPregnant creature — with 545 eggs — found on mountain in Angola. It’s a new speciesMysterious Flash in Sky Followed by Boom Stumps Authorities in MinnesotaOUIJA HORROR! - INCLUDES A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE - LIVE Chat - Q &; A - JOIN US! Lon Strickler (Host)LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREMysterious rumblings were recorded in Earth's stratosphereThe Wolpertinger: One Of The Most Famous Cryptids Of GermanyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyFeel Free to Post PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS DIRECT LINKS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA &; WEBSITE. Thanks For Your Support!**********Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.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.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis 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© 2005-2023 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

A photo has recently surfaced of an apparent 'apparition' said to have been recorded along Sickles Ave. between Devil's Den and the Triangular Field (refer to the map below). The date and time of the photo were not provided.On July 2‚ 1863‚ in a series of attacks and counter-attacks that lasted over two hours‚ the Union position was ultimately crushed and held by the Confederates. Above Devil's Den is a parcel of land with a stone wall and a wooden gate. This field in the shape of a triangle sets between the Peach Orchard and Devil's Den.Gettysburg | Devil’s Den &; Little Round Top | July 2‚ 1863 | 4:30 - 5:30 pmAlthough Devil's Den later emerged in popular history as a sharpshooters' bulwark and a nesting place of evil spirits‚ it was in fact one of Gettysburg's most terrible infantry fights. Approximately 5‚000 soldiers fought a bloody battle. More than 1‚800 men were killed‚ captured‚ wounded‚ or missing‚ according to the American Battlefield Trust. Surviving soldiers ranted about the awful‚ rocky landscape.The general area around Devil's Den‚ the Wheatfield‚ Little Roundtop‚ and the valley between these locations (referred to as the Valley of Death) is well-known for sightings of apparitions.NOTE: Many times‚ tourists will comment to a National Park Service Ranger about the 'reenactors' and how realistic they were when‚ in fact‚ no reenactments were occurring at the time. I have heard similar comments myself. LonSharing the Mountain with Bigfoot: The First Year (Bigfoot Series)Bigfoot and Eastern CousinsBigfoot Nation: The History of Sasquatch in North AmericaThe Bigfoot Book: The Encyclopedia of Sasquatch‚ Yeti and Cryptid PrimatesBeasts of BritainThe Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War (Civil War Trilogy)ALIEN DISCLOSURE: EXPERIENCERS EXPOSE REALITY - AudiobookRegister a SNAP EBT CardTHE MEME HUMANOIDS: MODERN MYTHS OR REAL MONSTERS - AudiobookTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTHAVE A COMMENT? GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSFeel Free to Post PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS DIRECT LINKS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA &; WEBSITE. Thanks For Your Support!Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonAccess Phantoms &; Monsters Post Updates on TELEGRAMSubscribe and join the Chat GroupAccess Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'JOIN US ON TikTok-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----BIGFOOT: REMARKABLE ENCOUNTERS &; STRANGE EVENTS! - LIVE Chat - Q &; A - JOIN US! Lon Strickler (Host)Welcome to Phantoms &; Monsters 'Personal Reports' - cryptid &; unexplained accounts directly from the archives of Phantoms &; Monsters‚ and the Phantoms &; Monster Fortean Research team. Narrated by Lon Strickler. Join us in the chat‚ discuss‚ and ask me questions about the accounts.Featured in this edition:Ever since that unforgettable morning of May 9th‚ 1981‚ when I had my Bigfoot encounter‚ I constantly ask myself‚ 'What did I see that day?' and 'Why did it happen to me?' I can guess that most eyewitnesses to these amazing creatures ask themselves a similar question. But imagine‚ you're in a secluded location or the wilderness and need assistance‚ which arrives in the form of a massive hairy biped. Or‚ say you're simply minding your own business‚ and then suddenly face-to-face with a terrifying‚ unknown beast. How would you react?These reports that I'm about to read are from ordinary people who‚ for whatever reason‚ find themselves in a truly unique situation. Put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine what they were thinking.So‚ relax and listen. I will present the reports in detail and‚ afterward‚ I will attempt to answer your questions from the chat room.-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Team Riker: Division A-----TODAY'S TOP LINKSPregnant creature — with 545 eggs — found on mountain in Angola. It’s a new speciesMysterious Flash in Sky Followed by Boom Stumps Authorities in MinnesotaOUIJA HORROR! - INCLUDES A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE - LIVE Chat - Q &; A - JOIN US! Lon Strickler (Host)LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREMysterious rumblings were recorded in Earth's stratosphereThe Wolpertinger: One Of The Most Famous Cryptids Of GermanyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyFeel Free to Post PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS DIRECT LINKS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA &; WEBSITE. Thanks For Your Support!**********Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.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.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis 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© 2005-2023 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

Only a few drummers have affected all levels of rock and metal music in the across-the-board fashion of Carmine Appice. Be it through his influence work with ’60s psych-rockers Vanilla Fudge‚ his enduring influence on John Bonham‚ his songwriting with Rod Stewart‚ or his work as a hair metal icon with King Kobra and Blue Murder‚ there’s no doubt about it‚ Carmine Appice transcends time‚ space‚ and genres. In the ’60s‚ with his soft velvet suits proving a stark contrast to his ear-imploding double bass drumming‚ Appice was a trendsetter and set the standard for what a heavy metal drummer The post Carmine Appice Interview: 10 Albums That Changed My Life appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

In 2015‚ a research team got the idea to use aerial surveying and satellite imagery to map the expanse of Bronze Age settlements in Northeast Serbia’s Pannonian Plane. What they found was shocking—over 100 previously unknown habitations that pull the history of the Balkans down squarely into the time of the Myceneans‚ the ancient Egyptians‚ […] The post Satellite Images Bring Serbia’s Hidden Bronze Age Settlements to Light–100 Previously Unknown Sites ‘connect the dots’ appeared first on Good News Network.

I just happened to be looking at the August 1975 issue of Galaxy Magazine when my attention was caught by an essay: Jim Baen’s “The Myth of the Light-Barrier.” Was this yet another example of what we will polite call “relativity skepticism‚” perhaps an early look at Petr Beckmann’s Galilean Electrodynamics? In short‚ no. Instead Baen celebrated the fact that a rocket capable of sustaining a one-gravity acceleration indefinitely can travel astonishing distances in a very short time from the perspective of the traveler. Of course‚ the stay-at-home will experience a lot more time‚ but Baen sees this as a plus. And that’s the point. Given a one-gravity‚ constant-acceleration space-vehicle plus a complete indifference to point of origin‚ you can go anywhere and do anything. You can even be free. Because anybody who might have an inclination to tamper with your liberty (unless you were foolish enough to bring him along) will have been dust long before you arrive at your destination. Blue meanies included. Freedom! This is entirely true. See the chart below (lifted without credit from a 2018 Tor.com essay by someone or other) for distances covered at one gee. Destination Distance (Light Years) Ship Time (Years) Earth Time (Years) Alpha Centauri 4.3 3.6 5.9 Tau Ceti 11.9 5.1 13.7 40 Eridani 16.3 5.7 18.1 The Pleiades 444 11.9 446 Crab Nebula 6‚500 17.1 ~6‚500 Galactic Core 28‚000 19.9 ~28‚000 Andromeda Galaxy 2‚500‚000 28.6 ~2‚500‚000 Thanks to inconsiderate details like engineering practicalities‚ the rocket equation‚ and the irritating fact that Bussard ramjets are nine orders of magnitude more efficient at dissipating energy than they are at generating it‚ this table is completely irrelevant to any future that humans are likely to experience. However‚ just because something is impractical or even impossible has never stopped SF authors from exploring a cool idea in their fiction.   “A Momentary Taste of Being” by James Tiptree‚ Jr. (1975) Four light-years from overcrowded Earth‚ the Centaurus searches for a world suitable for colonization. Thus far‚ there has been no good news for Earth’s tens of billions. Now a promising world presents itself…but is the seemingly perfect world a trap? Not being an idiot‚ the captain of the Centaurus dispatches a survey team to examine the world. Only Lory Kaye returns‚ bringing with her samples from the world below. Is the planet the paradise Lory claims? Or is there some darker reason why the rest of the survey team did not return? Some readers may turn to science fiction for the reassurance and solace they do not find in life. To these readers I say‚ “under no circumstances use Tiptree’s fiction for this purpose.” At least this story is more upbeat than The Screwfly Solution.   “Rammer” by Larry Niven (1971) Jerome Corbett gambled that he could elude terminal illness by undergoing suspended animation. He lost the bet. Freezing caused irreversible cell damage. Corbett was as dead as dead could be…but his memories could be salvaged. The state of 2190 had a use for those. Corbett’s memories were imprinted into the brain of a convicted criminal. Corbett was a loner and so is the new composite. This makes him a perfect candidate for piloting Bussard ramjets on one-way missions to tomorrow. Many people might balk at such a task. Corbett takes it much farther than his masters intended. It’s possible this story inspired the Baen editorial‚ because the eventual resolution hinges on the fact that a round trip to the core of the galaxy and back is fortyish years to Corbett and seventy thousand for the state. Or so Corbett thinks‚ because it doesn’t occur to him that ramjets may not deliver an ideal performance. A World Out of Time‚ the novel that grew out of “Rammer‚” explores that notion.   Red Lightning by John Varley (2006) Eccentric inventor Jubal Broussard provided humanity with endless power thanks to Broussard’s super-scientific “squeezer.” The squeezer in turn delivered cheap constant-acceleration space travel (unbounded by mere mass ratios) to the other planets of the Solar System…and for those who wanted it‚ to the stars as well. The downside of this arrangement is revealed when malcontents send their starship on a long acceleration loop that will terminate on the Earth’s surface. The resulting impact will be Chicxulub-scale. Terrestrial governments‚ trapped as they are in a particularly bitter emulation of late-Heinlein cynicism‚ are poorly equipped to deal with the crisis. Bussard ramjets‚ tachyon-emitting rockets‚ and their ilk would function very nicely as weapons of planetary destruction. See also Charles Stross’ Iron Sun. Good thing that they’re impossible.   The Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne (2020) Enabled by inexpensive sub-light star travel‚ the United Nations (UN) and rival Outer Reaches Colonial Association (ORCA) are in a race to see which of them can be the fastest at spreading humanity and its creations across the nearer stars. It is a time-consuming‚ expensive contest‚ one that encourages cost-cutting measures. Affordably priced Planetary Crusade Services dispatches AI overseer AMBER ROSE 348 and its crew to investigate an ancient crash site. Hired because they were cheap rather than notably competent‚ AMBER ROSE’s crew finds themselves out of their depth. Not only did they land in the wrong location on an alien world‚ and not only is said alien world alarmingly well-stocked with apex predators‚ but ORCA has dispatched its own team to the planet. The heavily armed ORCA cyborgs may not be more competent than AMBER ROSE’s‚ but they are considerably more violent. AMBER ROSE is always spelled in all caps‚ as are all its pronouncements. It seems this future has starships and artificial intelligences of a sort‚ not to mention an impressive grasp of the Peter Principle‚ but volume control technology has been lost. That or the poor AI has discovered that the only way to get the full attention of the meat-sacks is to yell at them.   We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor (2016) After a close encounter with Truck-kun‚ Bob Johansson wakes to find himself in much the same situation as Niven’s Jerome Corbett. Bob’s body is long gone. Bob is now an AI‚ a simulation of the dead man. Bob was created to crew a relativistic starship. Should he fall short of needs‚ he will be erased. Complicating matters: the setting is an Earth that is quite‚ quite ununified. Tensions between the Free American Independent Theocratic Hegemony and Brazil need only a small spark to ignite a catastrophic world war. Bob may be that spark. Unless he can launch safely‚ Bob is trapped on a world out of time. The detail that most stood out to me in this novel is that when the multiply-copied Bob finds himself dealing with desperate survivors‚ Bob does not immediately start muttering “lifeboat rules” while looking for a convenient airlock through which the refugees could be guided. Bob’s equations are at least a little warm. ***   While superluminal star flight is‚ for obvious reasons‚ far more popular than sub-light‚ tales of thrilling adventure enabled by ships capable of ever-growing velocities‚ ships easily spanning interstellar distances‚ abound in science fiction. These five works are a very small sample. If your favorites were omitted for some reason‚ feel free to remind us of them in comments‚ below. In the words of fanfiction author Musty181‚ four-time Hugo finalist‚ prolific book reviewer‚ and perennial Darwin Award nominee James Davis Nicoll “looks like a default mii with glasses.” His work has appeared in Interzone‚ Publishers Weekly and Romantic Times as well as on his own websites‚ James Nicoll Reviews (where he is assisted by editor Karen Lofstrom and web person Adrienne L. Travis) and the 2021‚ 2022‚ and 2023 Aurora Award finalist Young People Read Old SFF (where he is assisted by web person Adrienne L. Travis). His Patreon can be found here.

The DC Comics universe may be in a time of upheaval‚ but one thing is staying constant: The delightfully foul-mouthed‚ loving‚ chaotic‚ disastrous world of the animated Harley Quinn series on Max. The streamer has announced that Harley—and‚ of course‚ her beloved Ivy—will return to screens for a fifth season. And it’s a damn good thing‚ too‚ because it would have been really weird if the Harley spinoff Kite Man: Hell Yeah appeared on its own. (Kite Man is fine. Fine! But Harley Quinn walked—strutted‚ terrorized—so Kite Man could fly.) That show is set to debut in 2024‚ but there’s no word yet on when Harley‘s fifth season will arrive. When it does‚ though‚ we’ll be there with bells on. For four seasons‚ the series has given us a surprisingly perfect Harley voiced by Kaley Cuoco; the driest‚ most excellent Ivy (Lake Bell)‚ and a whole team of misfits played by an outstanding cast of actors: Alan Tudyk as the Joker‚ Ron Funches as King Shark‚ Diedrich Bader as Batman‚ Harvey Guillen as Nightwing‚ Sanaa Lathan as Selina Kyle‚ and James Adomian as a bizarrely lovable Bane. In the fourth season‚ tensions arose in the Harlivy relationship over their differing priorities: Harley started teaming up with Bat-folk‚ while Ivy became CEO of the Legion of Doom. But‚ because under all the wacky hijinks and dramatic evil plans they are actually semi-functional adults‚ they got it together by the end of the season. Harley Quinn is now streaming on Max.

In the annals of dystopian YA‚ perhaps none defined the subgenre so well as The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The films were largely successful by adaptation standards‚ being an effective rendering of the material that largely stuck to the messages Collins meant to get across regarding war‚ desensitization‚ and violence. 2020 saw the release of a prequel to the trilogy—The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes—featuring the 10th annual Hunger Games‚ where it turns out that one tribute was mentored by the future Panem President Snow. Which forces us to collectively ask… is the backstory of Coriolanus Snow something that the world really needed to reckon with? And it’s a question we can now ask twice‚ with the release of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in theaters. [Minor spoilers for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes] The film follows the path set before a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blythe)‚ son of a once-rich family who is doing his best to keep up that appearance‚ a full sixty-four years ahead of the trilogy’s events. His hopes of winning a scholarship that his family desperately needs are dashed when the parameters for obtaining it are altered by Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) and Head Gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis). Now students who desire the coveted Plinth Prize must participate as the first “mentors” in the Hunger Games and offer suggestions to increase viewership‚ as very few people in the Capitol seem keen to watch anymore. Buy it Now Highbottom is the former friend (as in‚ they had a terrible falling out) of Snow’s father‚ and as a result sticks him with what he assumes will be the worst tribute—the girl from District 12. That girl turns out to be Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler)‚ who dazzles the public at her reaping by showing up in a colorful dress that belonged to her mother and singing a defiant song. Snow rightly sees this for the opportunity it is‚ and his ambition combined with Lucy Gray’s performance savvy makes it easy for Coriolanus to land her attention and stoke public interest in the games. This‚ combined with his suggestions to Dr. Gaul make the 10th Annual Hunger Games a spectacle that ensures their survival into the future‚ even as Snow begins to fall for his tribute and she for him. The games only make up half of the film’s 157-minute runtime‚ a punishment seemingly inflicted on the audience for not having to sit through two films instead of one (which is what happened to the trilogy’s third installment Mockingjay‚ don’t forget). The rest of the film deals with Snow’s feelings for Lucy Gray‚ and the effect that relationship has on his person and his future. To the story’s credit‚ Coriolanus Snow never seems like a “good” guy‚ even at his most vulnerable moments; it’s clear from the beginning that young “Coryo” has compartmentalized everything uneasy in his life in order to allow himself freedom to do inhumane things. It helps‚ also‚ that the film chose not to keep such a tight perspective on Snow as the book does‚ allowing the audiences to sink into the perspective of Lucy Gray just as often when she’s on screen. The actors chosen for these roles do most of the film’s work for it. Zegler commands the screen whenever she appears‚ dazzling with the sort of charisma the part demands. It’s an enjoyable turn away from soft and besotted Maria of West Side Story‚ and an impressive indication of Ziegler’s range as a performer. Blyth manages to play Snow in a manner that never trips over into melodrama‚ never overplays evil all the way across the line into caricature. The result (thankfully) doesn’t make Coriolanus Snow easier to relate to‚ but certainly does remind the audience that evil is often mundane and frighteningly human. Having said this‚ Viola Davis’ Dr. Gaul never does manage to come off as anything quite so subtle. With only a few objectivist slogans for thoughts and a lab full of horrors‚ Gaul is the unequivocal devil on Snow’s shoulder. Davis seems to be enjoying the chance to play that sort of part‚ and all the more power to her. It’s only unfortunate that behind Panem’s greatest tyrant is another whose motives seems far less complex‚ in an exercise that is arguably about recognizing the humanity of even the most odious people. But the film has another problem in its prequel leanings: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes an unfathomable amount of time setting up key points of relation to the originating trilogy‚ often in a manner so obvious that it winds up comical. There are mockingjays all over District 12‚ and Snow doesn’t seem to like them. Lucy Gray sings “The Hanging Tree” at several portentous moments in the film‚ and possibly also wrote it? Look at all the imagery and symbolism! And then there’s a moment when Lucy Gray’s friend comes to her with a root that they want to stew for food. Snow asks what it is‚ and Lucy Gray gives him the official name… but tells him that she thinks it should be called “Katniss.” The camera fixes on Snow as his jaw seems to tighten‚ perhaps glimpsing a future that none of us can see. It’s corny‚ there’s truly no other word for it. If there’s meant to be a cross-generational handshake happening here—two girls from District 12 who unknowingly conspired across the ages to bring Coriolanus Snow down—it doesn’t seem clever enough to include so blatantly. By the end‚ it’s hard to know what we’re meant to take away from this manner of story. We’re given the underpinnings of Snow’s personal ethos‚ certainly‚ adopted from Dr. Gaul as the two of them form a mentor-mentee relationship that will bring the Capital into its excess-laden future. These two believe that all people at their cores are monstrous‚ that all of life is a Hunger Games arena. That they are the ones who win. And there are people in our own world who likely think similarly‚ of course. But what good does knowing that do us‚ or indeed‚ The Hunger Games trilogy? How does knowing what Coriolanus Snow thinks enrich our understanding of what we’ve already witnessed and read? It doesn’t‚ really. And so the exercise only serves to bring about more of what the story so meticulously derides—with this prequel‚ movie theaters across the U.S. are having “Panem parties‚” encouraging fans to dress up like denizens of the Capitol‚ ready to watch the Hunger Games once more. With that in mind‚ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes can only wind up feeling an awful lot like a marketing scheme to keep this “franchise” going a little bit longer. Impressive performances aside‚ it has nothing to offer us that we don’t already know. Emmet Asher-Perrin isn’t quite sure how this would be enjoyable family holiday viewing‚ in any case. You can bug them on Twitter and Bluesky‚ and read more of their work here and elsewhere.

On Nov. 7‚ the House of Representatives (212 Republicans and 22 Democrats) voted to censure radical Rep. Rashida Tlaib‚ D-Mich.‚ because she has “levied unbelievable falsehoods about our greatest ally‚ Israel‚ and the attack on October 7.” One of those outrageous falsehoods was clinging to the false claim that Israel bombed the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza. But guess what? Our professional “fact-checkers” haven’t located that lie … or any other nutty utterance‚ like her laughable claim that “from the river to the sea” isn’t a Hamas slogan about the eradication of Israel‚ it’s an “aspirational call for freedom” and “peaceful coexistence.” With Democrats‚ the so-called independent fact-checkers rush to correct Tlaib critics‚ and not Tlaib—just as they rush to correct Biden critics‚ and not Biden. Maybe those critics deserve correction—but so do Democrats‚ especially when they lie about alleged “war crimes.” The facts don’t always lean to the left. PolitiFact takes the cake‚ since Tlaib has only one “fact check” in her four-plus years in Congress‚ and it’s a “Mostly True” in 2020 for asserting‚ “Detroit spent $294 million on police last year‚ and $9 million on health.” This is ludicrous‚ since policing is an essential city government function‚ and government-funded health care is more of a state and federal function. Or is the worst one FactCheck.org? Their Tlaib archive page lists eight fact checks—and all eight are focused on Tlaib’s opponents. Or Snopes.com? A search found 13 checks attacking anti-Tlaib posts (10 in 2019)‚ but nothing evaluating Tlaib. Several were from satire websites like “Taters Gonna Tate.” Then there’s LeadStories.com‚ who flagged a post clearly marked satire‚ suggesting Tlaib advocated removing the American flag from classrooms. Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler isn’t ruling on Tlaib‚ since he’s too busy right now picking on Trump and Republicans. But he did flag President Joe Biden for asserting the Hamas body count in Gaza isn’t trustworthy. In recent days‚ Reuters Fact Check flagged social media posts and warned‚ “Posts about U.S. Representative Tlaib’s birthplace lack context.” Someone on Facebook suggested the congresswoman should be deported back to her birthplace. Tlaib claims she was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents in 1976. It’s weird that Reuters said “missing context‚” not “false.” USA Today’s fact-check squad published a post headlined “Video shows Rashida Tlaib protesting Trump in 2016‚ not backing Hamas.” It reported‚ “Tlaib was not protesting in support of Hamas. That video is seven years old and was taken at an event for former President Donald Trump.” What makes this fact check strange is that it noted‚ “the House voted to censure her on Nov. 7 for comments she made in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel‚” but it left out the “unbelievable falsehoods” part of that resolution. On the day before Tlaib’s censure‚ Washington Examiner commentator Zachary Faria did a fact check on the genocide talk. It started with Sen. Marsha Blackburn‚ R-Tenn.‚ tweeting‚ “Rashida Tlaib is calling for the genocide of the Jewish people.” Rep. Cori Bush‚ D-Mo.‚ responded by saying‚ “This is a lie. This rhetoric is dangerous and needs to stop. This endangers the life of Rashida and Palestinians standing up for their liberation everywhere.” Faria ruled “Bush’s pants are on fire.” Tlaib tweeted a video on Nov. 3 touting protesters chanting “from the river to the sea” and “no peace on stolen land.” It began with Biden proclaiming‚ “We stand with Israel” and ended with the claim that “Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people.” All the Biden-defending fact-checkers failed to pounce on Tlaib for that. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Rashida Tlaib’s Lies Ignored By ‘Fact-Checkers’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Proportionality in war is a synonym for lethal stalemate‚ if not defeat.When two sides go at it with roughly equal forces‚ weapons and strategies‚ the result is often a horrific deadlock—like the four years of toxic trench warfare on the Western Front of World War I that resulted in 12 million fatalities.The purpose of war is to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible with the fewest number of casualties—and thereby achieve political ends.So‚ every side aims to find superior strategies‚ tactics‚ weapons and manpower to ensure as great a disproportionate advantage as possible.Hamas is no exception.Its savage pre-civilizational strategy to defeat Israel hinged on doing disproportionate things Israel either cannot or will not do.First‚ Hamas spent a year planning a preemptive butchery spree inside Israel. Its ruthless killing focused on “soft targets” such as unarmed elderly‚ women‚ children and infants‚ mostly asleep at a time of peace and holiday.Second‚ it sought to collectively shock Israel into paralysis by the sheer horror of decapitating civilians‚ burning babies‚ mass raping and mutilating bodies.Another apparent aim of such premodern barbarity was to blame Israel’s “occupation” for turning Gazans into veritable monsters‚ with hopes of derailing the renewed Abraham Accords.Third‚ the gunmen took more than 240 hostages back with them to Gaza.Again‚ that was a disproportionate tactic designed to meter out the release of captives in exchange for “pauses” and “cease-fires” to save Hamas.Additionally‚ Hamas made implicit threats of gruesome executions of captives unless Israel ceased their retaliation for Oct. 7.Fourth‚ all the while‚ Hamas shot rockets into Israel‚ more than 7‚000 in total‚ and all aimed at civilians.Not one launch was preceded by dropping leaflets or sending text messages to Israeli civilians to vacate the intended target areas—a protocol often used by the Israel Defense Forces.The unapologetic aim was to kill thousands of Israelis at random and disproportionately.In fact‚ in just the past few weeks‚ Hamas has launched more than twice as many rockets into Israel as Nazi Germany managed to launch V-2s into Britain in five months.Fifth‚ Hamas sought to create a multibillion-dollar tunnel city beneath Gaza. The labyrinth’s sole purposes were to stockpile weapons and ensure safe havens for terrorists to shoot rockets and regroup after their terrorist missions.Sixth‚ the subterranean headquarters of Hamas elites‚ along with weapons depots‚ were strategically placed under hospitals‚ mosques‚ and schools to “shield” them from Israeli attacks.The expectation was that the IDF would be hesitant to target such “civilian” and “humanitarian” areas in a way Hamas never would.Seventh‚ Hamas forced the civilians of Gaza to remain among the street fighting. They often shot those who resisted.They also killed Gazans who fled the city. Hamas sought to increase civilian fodder as collateral damage from Israeli attacks. Such deaths were to be broadcast worldwide to win sympathy for Hamas terrorists and force a cease-fire.Eighth‚ Hamas bragged that it could repeat strategies 1-7 endlessly on the supposition Israel would tire‚ the world would turn against the Jewish state‚ and it at last could kill enough Jews to end Israel altogether.Israel in turn seeks its own disproportionate response to defeat Hamas.First‚ it seeks to single out and kill the actual Hamas terrorists‚ and especially the 2‚000 or so killers of Oct. 7.Second‚ it tries to warn civilians to flee anywhere that Hamas masses. Just as Hamas wants its own civilians killed for propaganda purposes‚ so Israel seeks to avoid killing them.Third‚ by targeting Hamas and warning civilians to keep their distance‚ Israel does not deny that there will be collateral damage.But it hopes to convince the world that any civilian deaths are mostly the fault of Hamas and not the IDF.And to the degree that Gaza City is left in rubble‚ Israel wishes to remind its enemies that the wages of killing Jewish infants unfortunately will be a disproportionate response‚ whose full effects will deter any future attack.Fourth‚ Israel understands that a country of 9 million to 10 million is facing a virulently hostile 500 million-person Arab Middle East. The United Nations is on the side of Hamas. A now antisemitic Europe has been hijacked by immigrants from the Middle East. Israel’s sole patron‚ the United States‚ is buffeted by a hard-left new Democratic Party that is not a reliable partner.The result is that Israel still cannot conduct a fully disproportionate war without endangering its source of military resupply in the United States‚ and a wider conflict with the Islamic world. And so‚ the war continues. Hamas strives for a more disproportionate terrorist agenda to prolong the war. And Israel strives for a more disproportionate retaliation to end it.The anger arises at Israel mostly because it is Jewish‚ and thus far its conventional disproportionality is proving more effective than the terrorist disproportionality of Hamas. COPYRIGHT 2023 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY LLC The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post When Has War Ever Been ‘Proportional’? appeared first on The Daily Signal.