Another One Bites The Dust (Christmas 2025, Six.)

Steve walks warily down the street
With the brim pulled way down low
Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet
Machine guns ready to go
Are you ready? Hey, are you ready for this?
Are you hanging on the edge of your seat?
Out of the doorway, the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat, yeah
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust (yeah)
Hey, I'm gonna get you, too
Another one bites the dust
How do you think I'm gonna get along
Without you, when you're gone?
You took me for everything that I had
And kicked me out on my own
Are you happy, are you satisfied?
How long can you stand the heat?
Out of the doorway, the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat, look out
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust.

~Queen, Another One Bites The Dust.

...

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. ~Luke 2:1-14

...

Well, if there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from. ~Luke Skywalker, to C-3P0 regarding his home planet of Tatooine, from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

I saw this last night.

Apparently Elise Stefanik is suspending her campaign for Governor of New York and will not seek reelection to Congress.

Merry Christmas, I guess??

That said, gee, I wonder why she wants out.

Considering the soup sandwich that the Republicans are turning into and what looks like a galactic-level ass whuppin' brewing in the 2026 midterms, I don't blame her for getting out before it gets worse.

And it will get worse.

I think these fucking people are going to Culture War themselves into oblivion, just sayin.'

And that's before the fact that they're actively trying to start some kind of 100-front war between themselves and the rest of the universe.

Again, These Fucking People's entire objective is basically to make everything so bad that Republican Jesus comes back and "Saves" them (and only them) and then they get to sit in Heaven and just watch everybody else fry back here on Earth.

Except that I've read the Bible...special emphasis on Revelations...and none of this actually works like that.

Well, that and the fact that these idiots are starting to fight with each other more now...which by the way is always one of my warning points that we're likely to end up in a civil war.

We've got to take the neighborhood back. We've got to go in there. Just forget telling your child to go to the Peace Corps. It's right around the corner. It's standing on the corner. It can't speak English. It doesn't want to speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk. "Why you ain't where you is go." I don't know who these people are. And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. Then I heard the father talk. This is all in the house. You used to talk a certain way on the corner and you got into the house and switched to English. Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can't land a plane with "why you ain't…". You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth. There is no Bible that has that kind of language. Where did these people get the idea that they're moving ahead on this? Well, they know they're not, they're just hanging out in the same place, five or six generations sitting in the projects when you're just supposed to stay there long enough to get a job and move out. ~Bill Cosby, the "Pound Cake" speech.

The thing that scares me, because I was taught to respect and study history and theology by conservatives, is that now These Fucking People study neither.

And they don't want to.

Like I said on Threads last night; There was this guy at my old job, basic fat guy, supposedly Pentecostal, typical FOX News conservative, wannabe gun guy who basically knew fuck all besides how to shoot his deer rifle. 

He'd sit there looking oh-so-serious in the breakroom obviously fake-reading an open Bible.

A bunch of us who were actually serious and knew stuff tried to talk to him but he never really listened, at least once a year somebody would question whether or not he was really "Saved" because the image he tried to show never lined up with his real life.

I'd literally ask him basic questions about Christian history and theology...which he could almost never answer and barely even tried.

And I'd go off! Like, How are you supposedly a Protestant Christian and you don't know who Martin Luther is, or what he did or why his nailing that list of 95 complaints to that German church-door took off and created a movement and altered the course of Christianity and indeed, world history?

That you as a human being, as a Christian, even have the freedom to read the Lord's Word, let alone do it in your own language and interpret it as you see fit is the most basic result of the Reformation.

Terrible wars were fought over this, and people squander that right and take it for granted.

You ever wonder how things got this way?? 

Start with that.

Truth is the only floor most of us will ever have to stand on to push back against Power.

And you either believe in freedom or you don't.

The freedom to believe in God as you understand such to be, and to define yourself as you see fit in relation to the Divine Conversation and the world we live in are the most basic of all Human rights.

Remember that, it'll be on the test.

Meanwhile in case you wonder why Elise Stefanik is getting out, WHY another one bites the dust? The Republican Party now considers drug-addicted crackpot Mike Lindell a perfectly valid candidate.

Reagan Wept.

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[Cassian plays Nemik's audio diary]

Karis Nemik: There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. Remember this. Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they've already enlisted in the cause. Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward. And then remember this. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire's authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this. Try. ~From the Star Wars series Andor, S1.E12 "Rix Road."

We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev...Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
~Ronald Reagan

Five

When men stop believing in God, it isn't that they then believe in nothing: they believe in everything. ~Umberto Eco