Rapper Cardi B – who previously endorsed then-candidate Joe Biden – slammed the current president for the economy and funding wars while American cities are deteriorating. Cardi B began her expletive-laden rant by saying‚ "I'm an angry-a** b***h right now. I'm about to go off right now‚ right now." She also prefaced her diatribe on Instagram by saying‚ "If something happens to me‚ it's because I'm speaking the truth." The rapper – who was born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan – pointed out how New York City is forced to make major budget cuts due to the migrant crisis that will cost the city an estimated $11 billion over the next two years. The sweeping budget cuts will slash the NYPD force to the lowest levels in decades‚ drastically reduce the Department of Education's budget by $1 billion over the next two years‚ trim $32 million from the Sanitation Department‚ and shutter public libraries on Sundays. Cardi B declared on the livestream video‚ "B***h‚ we are gonna be drowning in f***ing rats."Cardi B – whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar – proclaimed that she will never endorse any presidential candidates ever again‚ despite promoting Biden in 2020. "I don’t give a f***‚ I’m not endorsing no f***ing presidents no more. Because how is that a $100 million budget cut in New York City for f***ing schools‚ library‚ police safety‚ and sanitation? Yet Joe Biden talking about like‚ ‘Yeah‚ we can fund two wars. We can fund two wars.' Motherf***ers talking about‚ ‘We don’t got it but we got it‚ like we’re the greatest nation.' No‚ the f*** we’re not. We’re going through some s**t right now.”The rapper conceded that she is "lucky‚" but was concerned about her relatives and friends "living in the hood." She added that the budget cuts are going to affect all of New York City. Cardi B exclaimed‚ "B***h‚ New York City is already f***ing super dirty!" The "WAP" rapper declared that the U.S. government can't afford to fund the Ukraine-Russia war or the Israel-Hamas war. "This s**t is getting out of hand‚" she told her 169 million Instagram followers. Cardi B called out the Biden administration‚ "They don't want to say the word – but we going through a recession right now. We really‚ really‚ really are." She warned that the budget cuts hurting New York City will spread to the rest of the country. The music artist told her followers that celebrity gossip is "little" compared to "what's really going on in the world right now." "The world is in f***ing shambles‚" she added.(WARNING: Explicit language) — (@) Cardi B previously got chummy with Biden during a softball interview less than three months before the 2020 presidential election. "I have a whole list of things that I want and I wish and I desire in our next president to do for us. But first‚ I just want Trump out‚" the rapper said to Biden during the interview for Elle magaznie. "Know what I'm saying? I just think his mouth gets us in trouble so much. I don't want to be lied to." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! Cardi B Talks Police Brutality‚ COVID-19‚ and the 2020 Election with Joe Biden | ELLE www.youtube.com

A Texas teen went missing and had an Amber Alert issued in an attempt to track her down. Just hours later‚ she was arrested and has since been charged with murder‚ according to police. On Aug. 27‚ Arturo Pena was reported missing by his mother. She told law enforcement that her 21-year-old son never came home after going to "meet with a girl."Two days later‚ Pena's body was found inside a vehicle at Audubon Park in Garland‚ Texas. Police said the victim had been fatally shot. On Sept. 1‚ another local young person went missing. An AMBER Alert was issued for 17-year-old Natalie Navarro by the Dallas Police Department after her parents reported her missing. Later that day‚ Navarro was located in Webb County near the Mexico border by officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety.At that time‚ police had suspected Navarro and her 21-year-old boyfriend‚ Yordy Martinez‚ to be involved in the murder of Pena. Police obtained warrants for both Navarro and Martinez. Navarro was arrested the same day that she was found. Martinez is still at large and may have fled into Mexico‚ according to authorities. Law enforcement is still trying to track down the suspect. Investigators with the Garland Police Department suspect Navarro met Pena online two weeks before the deadly shooting‚ and planned to rob him with the help of Martinez. Police said Navarro and Pena agreed to meet at the park after talking online. CBS News reported‚ "According to Navarro's indictment record‚ she was 'in the course of committing and attempting to commit' robbery against Pena before he was shot." Detectives believe that Navarro shot Pena during the robbery. Last Tuesday‚ a Dallas County grand jury indicted Navarro on the accusation that she did "intentionally cause the death" of Pena‚ according to the indictment. Navarro was indicted on capital murder charges‚ according to online records. Navarro reportedly told police that "she had spoken to Yordy once before online but had never met him in person the night of the actual murder‚" said Garland Police Department spokesperson Richard Maldonado. However‚ investigators allegedly have "reason to believe" Navarro could be lying. Navarro is being held at the Dallas County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

from Red Voice Media: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

by Stefan Stanford‚ All News Pipeline: – Doctor Warns Surviving A Nuclear War Will Depend Upon Distance‚ Time And Shielding The story over at the Daily Mail that Steve Quayle linked to on his website on Thursday was alarming. Reporting that new models reported by Scientific American show the US getting into a nuclear war could lead to the deaths of 300 […]

from The Salty Cracker:  TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

from Revolver News: There’s an alarming concern looming in our skies. One brave pilot has raised a red flag about the dangers now present‚ attributing them to the COVID-19 vaccine. We’ve all noticed odd occurrences lately – pilots falling ill or even dying mid-flight. It’s hard to dismiss these as mere coincidences. A British Airways […]

by Raheem J. Kassam‚ The National Pulse: Allison Greenfield‚ law clerk to Judge Arthur Engoron‚ has been recently involved with leading anti-Trump organizations in New York City‚ and has even been caught on camera attending the “Fall Event” of a group called the “Grand Street Democrats” in October 2022. Greenfield – whose partisan activities were […]

The post Riley Gaines is fed up (two images‚ click to open) appeared first on The Funny Conservative.

From the sprawling fields of Rohan to the white spires of Minas Tirith‚ Middle Earth is so familiar‚ and so fully formed‚ that sometimes it’s hard to comprehend that it isn’t real. J.R.R Tolkien set out to write just a simple children’s book about a little Hobbit going on an adventure‚ and in the process‚ created something truly magical.  Tolkien created this world not in broad strokes‚  but in fine detailed lines. But for Tolkien‚ the journey to make Middle Earth the immersive realm that it is wasn’t always easy‚ and like any monumental undertaking‚ there were hiccups along the way. Tolkien’s journey‚ similar to the one undertaken by his Fellowship‚ was full of perseverance‚ passion‚ and an unwavering dedication to the story. In this article‚ we’ll unravel just some of the extraordinary lengths Tolkien went to while writing the Lord of the Rings‚ as well as some intricacies of Middle Earth that might surprise you. But be warned before you read any further–because here there be dragons.  J.R.R Tolkien Before Middle Earth  John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein‚ a town in the Orange Free State of South Africa‚ on January 3‚ 1892. His parents‚ Arthur and Mabel Tolkien‚ had left England for Arthur’s career as a banker. He didn’t spend much of his life there‚ having left back for England at the age of 3‚ but a few events in his short time there might have shaped his future stories.  First‚ little John was bitten by a large baboon spider but suffered no ill health effects from this event. While spiders may have played a role in his stories as an adult‚ he claimed to have not remembered the bite.  Second‚ and much more tragically‚ Arthur Tolkien died from rheumatic fever while in South Africa while John and his mother were away visiting family in England. Left without her husband and his income‚ Mabel moved herself and her two children back in with her parents in Kings Heath‚ Birmingham. Later‚ they would move to a town called Sarehole‚ and then a Worcestershire village that eventually became a part of Birmingham.  Despite losing his father‚ Tolkien enjoyed his childhood in the English countryside. He spent time exploring the more wild areas around his new home‚ including mills and bogs that made up what is now known as Shire County Park. These ancient forests and thick swamps would eventually become places in Middle Earth‚ but at the time‚ they were just the preferred haunting grounds of a young boy who loved the natural world.  Tolkien would go on to describe one of his favorite places‚ Sarehole Mill‚ to The Guardian‚  “It was a kind of lost paradise… There was an old mill that really did grind corn with two millers‚ a great big pond with swans on it‚ a sandpit‚ a wonderful dell with flowers‚ a few old-fashioned village houses and‚ further away‚ a stream with another mill… I could draw you a map of every inch of it. I loved it with an (intense) love… I was brought up in considerable poverty‚ but I was happy running about in that country. I took the idea of the Hobbits from the village people and children…” He had so much time to explore because his mother home-schooled him and his brother‚ and Mabel’s love of botany was passed down to her children through these teachings. Little Tolkien also liked to draw‚ focusing on trees and landscapes as his mind wandered.  Tolkien’s forte‚ though‚ turned out to be languages. The young future author would be reading by the age of four and could write not too long afterward. He took to Latin well and spent a lot of time reading. Fantasy and books about magic were his favorite‚ foreshadowing his later fame as a fantasy author.  This indulgent and adventurous childhood was cut short for Tolkien when his mother died at just the age of 34. She passed from acute diabetes mellitus type 1‚ a death sentence for anyone at that time. The treatment she would have needed‚ insulin‚ wouldn’t be discovered for another two decades. Before her passing‚ she chose a guardian for her two sons‚ a Catholic priest named Father Xavier Morgan.  Tolkien’s Teenage Years  Life didn’t end with the death of his mother‚ although it would affect him greatly. He found companionship with his cousins‚ Mary and Marjorie Incledon‚ and the three of them would form a keen interest in constructed language.  A constructed language‚ also known as an invented language‚ is a language usually created for a work of fiction or another purpose outside of regular speech. The three teens would create a number of constructed languages‚ their first called Animalic‚ followed by Nevbosh and Naffarin. This odd hobby would eventually lead to Tolkien forming entire complex languages for his books as an adult‚ but as a teen‚ it was just a way to pass the time.  While attending the King Edwards School‚ Tolkien and a number of friends gathered together to form a group. This semi-secret club was dubbed the Tea Club and Barrovian Society. The boys in the T.C.B.S spent warm afternoons drinking tea in the Barrow Stones near the school‚ and their gatherings would later cement his fondness for writing poetry. One of the most formative experiences of his youth would be a trip to Switzerland in 1911. During this trip‚ Tolkien and twelve others would hike from the town of Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen village‚ through the glacial deposits and the base of the mountains‚ through the Grimsel Pass‚ to the Aletsch glacier‚ and ending in the town of Zermatt. Much of this journey would go on to lend itself to parts of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings‚ especially the Misty Mountains which Bilbo traveled across.  After returning from his Switzerland trip‚ Tolkien would attend Exeter College in Oxford‚ graduating in 1915 with honors. His major would be English language and literature.  Marriage to Edith Tolkien‚ His Muse  J.R.R Tolkien was only 16 when he met the woman who would be the love of his life‚ Edith Mary Bratt. They were first introduced to one another when Tolkien’s brother Hilary moved into a boarding house where Mary lived‚ and she and Tolkien hit it off right away. There were a few things keeping them apart‚ though. Edith was three years Tolkien’s senior‚ and where Tolkien was a Catholic and passionate about his faith‚ Edith was a Protestant. But none of that mattered when they spent time together‚ finding shared interests and personalities that meshed perfectly.  Tolkien’s guardian wasn’t keen on this love story. To him‚ Edith was too old and too Protestant to consider marrying. He forbade the young man from seeing her until he was 21‚ and Tolkien agreed. He only slipped up once‚ but Father Morgan threatened to end his time at university if it happened again. Heartbroken but resigned‚ Tolkien waited. On the exact date of his 21st birthday‚ Tolkien wrote Edith a letter‚ telling her that he had never stopped loving her and that he wanted her to be his wife. Edith had thought up until receiving that letter that Tolkien had abandoned her‚ and was engaged to another man‚ but when she read the correspondence from Tolkien everything changed. Tolkien took a train to meet Edith‚ and they spent the entire day talking under a railroad viaduct. By the time the sun had set‚ they agreed to marry.  They would be married on March 22‚ 1916. Edith would give Tolkien four children‚ John Francis Reuel Tolkien‚ Michael Hilary Reuel Tolkien‚ Christopher John Reuel Tolkien‚ and Pricilla Mary Anne Reuel Tolkien.  Edith was Tolkien’s muse throughout his life‚ and the love he carried for her never burnt out. He considered her his Luthien‚ an elven maiden in his works who was said to be the most beautiful woman to ever live. Like Luthien herself‚ Edith once danced for Tolkien in a hemlock grove. He recalled about his wife‚  “In those days her hair was raven‚ her skin clear‚ her eyes brighter than you have seen them‚ and she could sing—and dance.” How Did Tolkien Create Middle-earth? How War Shaped The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings  So far‚ we’ve discovered a few of the sources of Tolkien’s Middle-earth–his childhood haven of the woods around Birmingham‚ the Swiss Alps and the surrounding areas‚ and even his wife Edith.  But more than anything‚ there is another source that added a layer of darkness to the idyllic Middle-earth–World War I. War is not a foreign concept in Middle Earth‚ and unfortunately‚ it’s a common one here in reality as well. The War of the Ring and the Battle of the Seven Armies existed within the pages of Tolkien’s book‚ but for Tolkien himself‚ the war took the form of World War I‚ which broke out in 1914. At this time‚ Tolkien had been writing bits and pieces of lore and drawing maps‚ but nothing recognizable as Middle-earth had taken shape just yet.  J.R.R. Tolkien did not want to be a soldier‚ which was a bold choice at a time when every young man was expected to be enthusiastic about joining the fight. When everyone else his age was volunteering‚ Tolkien held back‚ shocking his family‚ but the scrutiny didn’t change his mind. Eventually‚ though‚ he was conscripted and received the news that he would be stationed in France. The hardest part for the author was leaving his beloved Edith‚ and he described parting from her as “like a death”. As a second lieutenant‚ Tolkien was in control of a small unit. They arrived at the Somme in 1916‚ and his time there was miserable. As miserable as it was‚ this was when Tolkien first started to truly flesh out the details of Middle-earth in his mind.  It was two years before that the first Middle-earth writing had come into being in the form of a poem called ‘The Voyage of Éarendel the Evening Star’‚ but at only eight lines long‚ it wasn’t considered a full story.  Tragically‚ during the Battle of Somme‚ Tolkien lost a dear friend named Rob Gibson‚ a member of the T.C.B.S.  Tolkien spent his time in the trenches covered in lice and mourning his dear friend. It wasn’t long before he came down with trench fever. This fever had him taken off the front lines. It was during his recovery that Tolkien began to write his first real story in the world of Middle-earth‚ called ‘The Fall of Gondolin’.  Experts on the work of J.R.R. Tolkien have identified many areas of his writing that more than likely were inspired by parts of the war Tolkien was forced to take part in. For the most part‚ Tolkien himself never confirmed that war was the driving force behind the creation of Middle-earth‚ but there were a few places that he admitted had spawned from his time on the battlefield. One of the most obvious is the connection between the Battle of Somme and Mordor. The Battle of Somme was hell‚ with burning landscapes‚ darkness‚ and death all around. Tolkien created Mordor‚ the center of Sauron’s territory‚ based on those terrible memories. Another direct correlation between Tolkien’s time in the war and Middle-earth is the Fellowship of the Ring itself and how it harkens back to the camaraderie of soldiers even in the worst of times.  The Constructed Languages of Middle-earth  One of the most incredible parts of the creation of Middle-earth is undoubtedly the languages that Tolkien developed for them.  It wasn’t enough just to write about elves‚ men‚ dwarves‚ and hobbits–he wanted them to have their own languages. Tolkien had been constructing languages since he was a child‚ but the dialects he made for his books were much more carefully detailed.  The crowning jewel of Tolkien’s constructed languages is Quenya‚ or High-elven‚ which is Finnish-inspired. Close behind was Sindarin‚ or Grey-elven‚ which was Welsh-inspired. Tolkien and the Creation of Middle-earth  With inspiration drawn from the unique‚ heartbreaking‚ and victorious events of his life‚ Tolkien was able to create something truly incredible in Middle-earth. In 1937‚ The Hobbit was published‚ and its success drove Tolkien to begin soon after on The Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship of the Ring hit shelves over a decade later in 1954‚ quickly followed by its sequels.  Whether it was a spider biting a small child‚ a boy exploring all the history and wildness of the English country‚ a trio of cousins inventing their own languages‚ grieving for an old friend‚ or escapism from the hell of the trenches of WWI‚ Middle-earth would have been impossible if Tolkien hadn’t been a master of putting these experiences into words.  Each piece of Middle-earth is a small portion of Tolkien’s past‚ all coming together like one astounding puzzle.  References  “The origins of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth” https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/the-origins-of-jrr-tolkien-s-middle-earth/ “How A Trek Through Switzerland Inspired J.R.R. Tolkien To Create A Magical Middle-Earth” https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimdobson/2022/09/18/how-a-trek-through-switzerland-inspired-jrr-tolkien-to-create-a-magical-middle-earth/?sh=a7abbf27f8bc  “How J.R.R. Tolkien Came to Write the Stories of ‘The Rings of Power’” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/jrr-tolkien-write-stories-rings-power-180980686/The post JRR Tolkien and the creation of Middle Earth first appeared on History Defined.

November 20‚ 2023 How To Rest in Being EnoughSTEVIE HENDRIX  Lee en español "But he said to me‚ ‘My grace is sufficient for you‚ for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses‚ so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) The world's problems can feel overwhelming these days. How do we rest in God's peace when we feel so out of control - and helpless to make a difference? I recently discovered a helpful metaphor about resting in who God made us to be. My dad and I were enjoying a long-anticipated father-son trip to Norway. As the end of our trip drew near‚ we had dinner at a restaurant called Maren Anna in a small fishing village near the tip of the Lofoten archipelago. That night‚ a snowstorm had just blown in‚ so we were two of only nine people dining‚ plus the manager and the waiter. The storm blustered outside‚ butter and garlic and fresh-from-the-water fish perfumed the air‚ and the quiet chatter of our fellow diners cushioned us. It was a meal for the ages. When we finished‚ I noticed a piano up against the wall. Any time I see a piano‚ I am curious to feel the keys‚ to hear how it sounds. To me‚ a piano is like a living thing‚ as if each piano has a unique soul. I asked the waiter if I could touch the keys. "Sure‚" he said. "You can play if you like." Now‚ I am not a good piano player. I can't read music and took lessons for only a short time as a kid. Regardless‚ I love to play. That night at the restaurant‚ I felt like nobody was really going to listen anyway. I quietly began to play one of my songs‚ losing myself in the experience. After a few minutes‚ the restaurant had gone quiet. The room was now silent except for the song I was playing. And just like that‚ a wave of nervousness slammed into me. My fingers began to tremble‚ and I thought of all the mistakes I could make. I almost stopped playing. "No. I'm not going to be nervous. I'm going to play my song as best as I can‚" I whispered to myself. And there‚ in that remote village‚ in the middle of a snowstorm‚ a personal miracle took place. I felt a rush of confidence come over me as I played‚ and a delicate presence seemed to fill the room. When I finished my song‚ I heard all 10 people in the restaurant begin to cheer and clap for me. Everyone was smiling‚ including Pop. Later‚ my dad said‚ "You know‚ when you were playing in there‚ it felt like God's presence filled the room." "I could feel it!" I replied. "I wondered if anyone else could." "They could‚" he assured me. "It was special." When my wife‚ Sazan‚ and I talked about it later‚ we realized that evening at Maren Anna held an important truth about resting in God: In Christ‚ we are enough. It didn't matter that I'm not a concert pianist. It didn't matter that I can't read music to save my life. None of that has to do with what is enough. The willingness to take something simple‚ something kind‚ something heartfelt‚ and offer it to God and others - that is enough. God promises that even in our weakness‚ He is sufficient. He is enough. He works through whatever offering we can give to others. "But he said to me‚ ‘My grace is sufficient for you‚ for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses‚ so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). We've got big problems in this big world of ours. We don't have big solutions or big resources or big wisdom to give. But what if we all just played our songs? What if we sat down at the metaphorical pianos of life and gave from our hearts what we have to give? God turns our small sacrifices into something powerful for a world desperate for beauty‚ peace and compassion. If you're waiting for the day when you'll feel like you're enough‚ lean in. That day is today. You are enough because God is enough. Rest in that. Dear Heavenly Father‚ thank You for loving me and reminding me daily that You are enough. Your love sustains me and reveals my identity as Your child. It's Your love that calms my anxiety‚ doubt and insecurity. Your love brings me rest through the chaos of life. There's nothing I can do to earn Your love or deter it. I worship You for that today. In Jesus' Name‚ Amen.  OUR FAVORITE THINGS For a guide to establishing rhythms of purposeful reflection‚ intentional focus‚ time with loved ones and true rest‚ check out Stevie and Sazan Hendrix's new book‚ A Real Good Life: Discover the Simple Moments that Bring Joy‚ Connection‚ and Love. ENGAGE Connect with Stevie and Sazan Hendrix on Instagram. Enter to WIN your very own copy of A Real Good Life by Stevie and Sazan Hendrix. To celebrate this book‚ their publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday‚ November 27‚ 2023.} FOR DEEPER STUDY 2 Corinthians 12:10‚ "That is why‚ for Christ's sake‚ I delight in weaknesses‚ in insults‚ in hardships‚ in persecutions‚ in difficulties. For when I am weak‚ then I am strong" (NIV). Can you think of a time when God's power was revealed through a moment of your weakness? What did it feel like to discover God's sufficient grace? How do you think God is calling you to slow down and see His love for you today? © 2023 by Stevie Hendrix. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews‚ NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post How To Rest in Being Enough –  Encouragement for Today – November 20‚ 2023 appeared first on GodUpdates.