The culture of the American road has been much celebrated, AND much criticized. Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919 – February 22, 2021) saw the rise of the automobile and the construction of the interstate system (which began in the 1950s) as a new form of punishment inflicted on the populace. Driving in their cars, "strung-out citizens" were now...

They still are ranged along the roads 
          plagued by legionnaires
                    false windmills and demented roosters
They are the same people
                                    only further from home
      on freeways fifty lanes wide
                              on a concrete continent
                                        spaced with bland billboards 
                        illustrating imbecile illusions of happiness

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, “In Goya’s Greatest Scenes We Seem to See...” from Coney Island of the Mind (1958). Poem link


The architectural critic and photographer John Margolies (1940–2016), on the other hand, saw there could also be home-made beauty in the buildings and signs locals built on the American roadside. For almost forty years, starting from the mid-70s he began to photograph sites during long road trips, since he was concerned these sites would be displaced by the growing modernist trend. He was credited with shaping postmodern architecture and recognizing buildings that would be added to the National Register of Historic Places through his documentary work. He documented the most remarkable examples he found, publishing some of his discoveries in books and consigning the rest to an archive, which has now been purchased by the Library of Congress who, in a amazing gracious move, have lifted all copyright restrictions on the photographs (though art works shown in some photographs may still be under copyright).


John Samuel Margolies was born on May 16, 1940, in New Canaan, Connecticut. His father was a grandson of Moses S. Margolies, a well-known Russian-born American Orthodox who served as senior rabbi in NYC.

From 1969 to 2008 John Samuel Margolies photographed the eccentric roadside architecture and ephemera of the US. Starting in 2007, the Library of Congress began to acquire his photographs, and created the public domain John Margolies Roadside America Photograph Archive in 2016, consisting of 11,710 scans of color slides taken by Margolies. Here's some highlights...

If you're familiar with Ferlinghetti's poems you will most likely not be surprised to see Margolies’ archive offer up no end of "false windmills" and "demented roosters".







But the billboards he preferred to photograph illustrated relatively humble "illusions of happiness".




Probably one of his favorite roadside phenomena to document, however, were novelty buildings. He especially liked structures that mimicked their own shape or function, whether this was as witty as a car wash shaped like a whale or as uncomplicated as a coffeehouse shaped like a coffeepot.





The Teapot Dome scandal was a bribery scandal involving the administration of United States President Warren G. Harding from 1921 to 1923.

Almost all of Margolies’ work was done in the interest of preserving images of what would otherwise be lost to time. Even his first book, published in 1981, was mournfully called The End of the Road: Vanishing Highway Architecture in America. From the start, Margolies knew the quirky motels, miniature golf courses, diners, billboards, and gas stations were being endangered by franchising and changing fashions — not to mention changing patterns of automobile traffic. For decades now, most drivers have, of course, opted for the high speed-limits of superhighways and the convenience of service areas, leaving the old local highways in the lurch.

Drive-in Theaters...




Diners...



Today, this collection of Marogolies’ photographs offers an invaluable tour of the diverse vernacular architecture and signage of North America. Some of these wonders remain, while others have gone the way of the dinosaur — which, as it happens, remains one of the American roadside’s most frequent denizens.




I think it was renovated some years back and is now called "Outlaw Trail RV Park" and it's the Utah entrance to Dinosaur National Monument.




Browse/download: John Margolies Roadside America photograph archive (1972-2008)

In order to search only Margolies archive you must precede your keyword(s) with "mrg" such as "mrg billboard".

Around 4800 photo's at Library of Congress Flickr site (lower resolution)

Navies of the world had better start thinking about jet skis with bombs capable of taking out a capitol ship... 3 billion dollar floating war ship and a jet Ski with a tactical nuke or big conventional warhead...what could go wrong ?

I finally found a video that talks about some of the stuff I have been thinking about after watching the drone war in Ukraine. In another 20 years no telling where this will end up as far a nations and people killing each other ? It will be easier to launch a drone or push a button and make many people disappear even easier than it is now.... Also it will not take a defense department getting billions of dollars to come up with new kill vehicles/drones as the mom and pop drone makers in Ukraine have shown..

I would be more than happy to vote for someone better than Trump for president but.....the choices we have are a stupid socialist communist regime sponsored by the WEF or Trump who seems to know how to make companies profitable and he certainly made America better during his time in office than this current crop in Washington has for the last 4 years.

They will either try and put Trump in jail "Lawfare" or something else will try and kill him to remove the threat he and MAGA pose to their agenda 2030 dreams for America and mankind. Communist make everyone equally miserable you gotta give them that !

Disheartening to those who care about the nation which is committing societal suicide with the open border policies and the 12 to 20 millions who have crossed illegally..

Funny how the same people who mandated you get a COVID shot or lose your job had no problem letting millions of unvaccinated cross what was once considered a national border; some cases welcome them with debit cards and hotel rooms.

https://x.com/i/status/1824550094567534861

Edit to add while thinking about Trump.. I think I hope he wins because he pisses off most of the people I can not stand to watch or listen to..

Quote:Russian physicist has urged President Vladimir Putin in a letter to strike Ukraine with nuclear weapons to speed up the outcome of the war and cut off supply routes that facilitate the transport of aid from Western nations.

A copy of the letter sent by Anatoly Volyntsev, physicist and professor at Perm State University, to the Russian leader was obtained by independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta. The publication then conducted a sit-down interview with Volyntsev about the letter's contents.

Putin's war in Ukraine, now in its third year, has intensified in recent days after Kyiv launched a surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region on August 6, seizing nearly as much territory as Moscow has captured in Ukraine since the start of the year. Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky has said Kyiv is now in control of about 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Kursk.

Newsweek has contacted Ukraine's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

Ties between Washington and Moscow have become increasingly strained over Putin's decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian officials have routinely accused NATO of being complicit in the war by providing Kyiv with aid and weapons.

Volyntsev told Novaya Gazeta that he told Putin to consider the use of nuclear weapons in the war "to achieve all goals faster," given that the conflict has been raging for two and a half years.

"The situation at the front has become so bogged down and drawn out," he said, adding that Moscow has failed to carry out any "major breakthrough military actions."


While Russia has the advantage, "we are moving quite slowly," the physicist said.

"The [Russian] people have a question: when will we finally finish and achieve what we wanted?" he asked. "Secondly, we have to endure terrorist attacks on Russian soil, and these attacks are organized, in fact, by the West, with the help of Western weapons, with the help of their intelligence resources, in fact with the direct participation of the collective West. And we do not respond. And here the people have a question: why not respond properly, we are a nuclear power?"

Volyntsev proposed using nuclear weapons to strike Ukraine's Beskydy Tunnel, a rail route in the Lviv region that is reportedly used to transport Western weapons used by Ukraine's Armed Forces.


He said it would be "very difficult" to destroy with conventional weapons, given that tunnels are "the most reliable bomb shelters."

The destructive power of nuclear weapons is much greater, the physicist said.

Volyntsev suggested using "small hydrogen bombs" to conduct a "gentle nuclear strike" on the tunnel "in order to block the main supply routes."

"Yes, some radioactivity will be induced. But this is an option that does not leave a large radioactive contamination of the atmosphere and load on the soil," he said. "Yes, there will be casualties…but everything can be done with minimal destruction."


Volyntsev described the conflict as it stands as "a war of attrition."

"Without Western assistance, everything would have ended long ago. How can this Western assistance be cut off?" he asked. "It is necessary to block the flow of weapons, other materials and equipment that allow the Ukrainian regime to exist."

Putin Urged To Deploy Nukes To Cut Off Ukraine's NATO Aid

Serious language

I had not seen this movie and thought I would watch a few moments to see if I would be interested. Presently at the 27 minute mark


I managed to watch the whole thing ...it was better than I thought it would be.

Dr Bret Weinstein is an evolutionary biologist and former professor at Evergreen State College. He is the co-host of the podcast, ‘DarkHorse’, and the author of the book, ‘A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life’.

00:00 Intro
02:27 Why Humanity Will Be Extinguished
04:39 Bret's Top Existential Concern for Our Planet 
08:04 Solar Flares and Their Potential Impact
11:36 Understanding EMP Effects & The Catastrophic Effects
13:48 The Earth's Magnetic Poles Are Switching!
17:01 The Inversion of Earth's Poles: Is Humanity Prepared? 
18:57 What Does Anthropogenic Mean? 
21:16 The Two Major Disaster Scenarios
28:11 How to Prepare for Global Catastrophes 
35:57 Should You Become a ‘Prepper’?
42:31 Is Society on the Brink of Collapse? 
51:33 Are Institutions Woke or Not? 
52:36 The Evergreen College Incident: What Really Happened 
01:04:47 The Decline of Mainstream Media
01:12:46 We SHOULD Be Worried About AI
01:16:50 Are Governments Ignoring AI's True Impact on the Planet? 
01:20:31 The Critical Role of Language in Human Survival and Evolution
01:28:22 How AI Will Transform Human Communication Forever 
01:30:19 Why Regulating AI Might Be the Worst Idea Ever 
01:32:14 Brain Chips: Are We Turning Into Cyborgs? 
01:36:23 AI Is Coming for Your Job: What You Need to Know 
01:39:11 The Safest Careers in an AI-Dominated Future 
01:45:02 Universal Basic Income: Hidden Consequences You Should Know 
01:52:48 The Failures of COVID-19
01:56:50 What Is Gain-of-Function Research
01:58:59 What Really Happened in Wuhan: The Untold Story
02:00:54 Anthony Fauci's Involvement in COVID Origins 
02:05:58 How We Should Have Handled COVID-19 Differently 
02:12:53 Why Lockdowns Might Not Work in the Next Pandemic 
02:16:23 Life-Changing Advice for a Happier, Healthier You 
02:23:35 The Hidden Dangers of Pornography
02:32:38 What Parents Are Getting Wrong
02:38:52 The Guest's Final Question

Destabilization of governments and just out right killings

Quote:There is a spy war between Russia and Europe right now that no one is talking about. NATO the EU and the Kremlin are fighting an all out hybrid war right now. Assassinations, arsons, and disinformation are central to Moscow's attempt to limit aid to Ukraine.

Reincarnation was something I had never believed in. Mainly because I was raised in "church." I was taught that we all get one life. One chance. But, something has nagged at me my whole life. I kept this feeling deep within as I journeyed through this life. It was this small voice inside me that kept saying...

I've been here before.


As I have shared, I have been on a spiritual journey for a while. All kinds of doors have been unlocked for me. As I've journeyed through the space within my minds eye I have started to wake up to a memory. A memory of a past life. I believe this was my last life, but not my only other life. I believe that this has happened more then once, simply because, if I've lived another life that I'm starting to remember, then how many more lives have I lived?

When I was about 15 I had an experience where I had this intense vision. This vision was so strong it stuck with me all of these years. It stuck with me because it was a memory of my last life. 

And how it ended...


War...

I am starting to remember. It was cold, and early morning. Sirens rang out. I run out of my tent and look up at the sky. Planes everywhere. The sky is red. I see bombs start to fall. Boom. Boom. All around me. I run, but I don't know where I'm running to. Suddenly a flash of white light...


This was the end to my last life. World War 2.


I have a few fuzzy memories about a life I believe was before this, but I am only seeing this one clearly now.

I believe we Reincarnate. "Born again." I also believe this may be the "1000 year reign" for all of us. Maybe we get more than one life to prepare our spirits for the next step that is beyond this ball of dirt, and this flesh suit...?


Thanks again, RN.

The General gives a time line to the actions conducted by the actors who are now everywhere in government.

Quote:Over the past few weeks we've witnessed multiple an assassination attempts on President Trump's life, a deep state coup that removed President Biden from power, as massive banking outage where Americans couldn't get money or use their banks. What the hell is happening in America? Someone who knows all too well how the deep state permanent government operates is General Mike Flynn and we're thrilled to have him here on the show. Flynn warns that the next phase of the deep state coup is unfolding now.