#Iran #StraitOfHormuz #SecDef
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
The "vegan" menace: Talarico vs Paxton and ....
#TXpol
Talarico: "I have been eating BBQ since before Ken Paxton's first indictment."
It's just DELICIOUS that the Grand Old Pedophiles party is terrified about they vegan menace. Definitely keep us laughing. Not looking for a job on the campaign staff. RantWoman would just go all pinko on the whole thing, promise broccoli for everyone who wants it and demand full human rights for everyone who picks broccoli. Is Paxton anti-salad on top of all his other outrages?
James Carville weighs in.
And speaking of people who have already gotten bounced or quit, what if Jasmine Crockett went on a Texas civics tour to argue about Congressional dysfunction???
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Hunger Strike and protests against ICE at Delaney Hall in NJ
#ImmigrantRights #ICE
Delaney Hall in NJ is the ICE facility where Sen. Andy Kim was just pepper sprayed.
It is operated by the Geo Group that operates the Tacoma detention facility. RantWoman enthusiastically whatever success Gov. Ferguson has had with oversight efforts aimed atenforcing state health and safety standards at the Tacoma facility
Here is further rant / reaction to the video.
The almost 50 dead number is total in ICE custody this year.
The spin machine has BS set on maximum.
NOT amusing to hear that ICE is trying to get people to self-deport to CONTO where there is now an ebola outbreak.
Monday, May 25, 2026
Why is it "complex" to investigate how 150+ Iranian school girls got bombed.
#WarCrimes The Secretary of #WarCrimes #AdamSmith
The Center on minimizing civilian casualties got DOGE'd. Add AI? What could possibly go wrong?
If you're confused...In search of an off-ramp.
#Israel #Iran #PeaceTalks #NuclearPower #GulfStates
Before anything else, GETTING OUT OF THE WAR ON IRAN IS NOT A FAILURE, no matter what a certain alleged ally or anyone in the media says.
So is peace breaking out?
Or will more bombs soon fall?
Will there be a timeline that AT LEAST lasts past the hajj, and even better longer???
Can everyone just ignore what President #StableGenius posts on Truth Social?
How about we point out to anyone who says the President barely sleeps because he is up all night "working" that actually he falls asleep over and over all day because 1. He is OLD and old people are allowed to do that and 2. He stays up all night sh*tposting?
Should we all just KNOCK IT OFF about #TACO and exude effusive praise every time the PResident backs away from something REALLY STUPID?
Note: the speakers are not fuzzy headed liberal peaceniks.
RantWoman is seeing YouTube all over the map about is there a peace agreement? Or not?
This chatter contains one set of theories. Entertaining banter with a lot of insight / realism as well as chess and movie references.
"Trump has no cards, except the bombing card, and that does not work."
Iran threat to cut all the cables in the Persian Gulf?
Trump should TAKE THE OFFRAMP
"There is no existential threat to Israel"
And because these items popped up while RantWoman was editing.
Infuriating quotes from Ted Cruz, et al.
Besides the President, RantWoman can't stand cabinet level liars.
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Gunfire? Ballroom? Jesus? Mental Health????
What is President #StableGenius ballroom ballpark up to now? Something like $1 billion? How many delusional people could $1 billion cover mental health treatment for over a year? 5 years?
RantWoman asks because 1. there is too much gunfire around the President and 2. there is a wicked nexus between civilians waving guns somewhere in the President's vicinity and mental health issues. 3. Every time gunfire happens around the President, the chorus of people talking up a White House ballroom takes off. Guess where RantWoman would prefer to spend money.
Gunfire is serious.
And RantWoman is having a Bad Friend moment, a moment of both snark and gratitude.
President #Stablegenius talks about how he hires the best people. This is news to everyone observing the staggering ineptness of many cabinet members. The President is lucky though: all of his would-be assassins appear to enjoy the same level of incompetence. Note, RantWoman does NOT want more competent assassins. More mental health options might help ward off the gunfire. Maybe.
As for prayers: RantWoman is still trying to come up with a line a la Fiddler on the Roof about the tsar, er King, er...
May the Lord Bless and Keep...
Speaking of prayer: the shooter was known to the Secret Service for, among other things, claiming he was Jesus. Apparently he did not realize that at the White House the Jesus mem is already taken.
Note:
Virtually all the video reporting about the Saturday night shooting at the #WhiteHouse contain sounds of gunfire.
Readers who need to hear more gunfire, click to your hearts' content below
.
A couple of the videos mention signs of someone, the shooter, in a mental health crisis. Curiously the speakers do not seem to be able to apply the same standards to...
Former prosecutor discusses White House gunman
White House shooting: CNN reporter describes moment shots rang out
Gunman killed by Secret Service after opening fire outside of White House, officials say
White House shooting: Gunman dead after opening fire near the White House
What we know about the gunman killed by Secret Service near White House on Memorial Day weekend
Suspect shot by Secret Service was known to law enforcement, officials say | NBC4 Washington
‘CLEAR MESSAGE’: Former FBI special agent urges vigilance after WH shooting
shooting attempts on Saturday or Sunday
New video shows chaotic White House shooting, latest details emerge
🚨MAJOR Red Flags SURFACE over WHITE HOUSE SHOOTING!!!
Quaker Voice Economic Justice Working Group Virtual Discussion about AI May 27 4:30 pm
The Economic Justice Working Group is pleased to invite you to join them for a meeting discussion of the policy issues around Artificial Intelligence (AI). They will be visiting with
- Adam Billen, the co-executive director of Encode, a nonprofit that focuses on advocacy for AI safety and has been involved in several state level bills. Adam grew up attending South Seattle Friends Meeting and now lives in DC.
- Noell Krughoff, the co-clerk of the FCNL Policy Committee. Noell helped craft the FCNL AI policy for federal legislative advocacy. You can find the FCNL AI policy brief here.
- Alecia Gaussoin, a Friend who is involved in the Washington Artificial Intelligence Regulation Group, a coalition working on AI regulations in Washington.
Please come prepared to listen and learn but note that there will not be time to do a deep dive into understanding AI or answering all questions about AI.
Join the EJ Working Group at 4:30 Pacific on May 27 at this link. Meeting ID: 890 8550 4951, Passcode: 047691.
Feel free to share the link. All are welcome.
Thou shalt not protest in groups of more than 4 people outside Rep. Adam Smith's house in Bellevue
RantWoman notes, according to local public radio, a new ordinance in Bellevue prohibiting more than 4 people at once from protesting outside individual homes.
Rep. Adam Smith lives in Bellevue. His house has been targeted by protestors, possibly protestors collaborating with Kshama Sawant, his opponent in this election cycle.
In RantWoman's view, Rep. Smith does a decent job about reflecting his constituents' diversity in programs he supports, in staffing his offices, and bringing money back to the district.
Rep. Smith is the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee and is getting a LOT of face time in various news outlets. RantWoman definitely wishes he would take stronger positions on some topics and completely different positions on other topics.
Rep. Smith receives millions of dollars in campaign contributions from AIPAC.
Twitter / X is the social media platform besides YouTube that RantWoman is most familiar with so RantWoman has dabbled in Saturday Night sleuthing.
A review of Rep. Smith's Twitter / X posts over the last 10 days shows:
1 post thanking interns in his office
A number of posts about the costs of the Iran war and defense issues
posts about how "complex" it is to investigate the bombing of the Iranian girls school at the beginning of the US attack.
Posts about the housing crisis including critique of private equity.
posts in support of transgender people
posts about economic development in the 9th district.
A post recognizing a Jewish holiday RantWoman is unfamiliar with
Posts about the #TrumpCrimeFamily, though he is too polite to refer to President #StableGenius that way.
Absent, among other topics: ANY mention of the DISGUSTING video made by Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir gloating over treatment of participants in the humanitarian effort to deliver aid to Gaza.
Just sayin'
For comparison, RantWoman looked at the Twitter / X feed of Jewish Voice for Peace. Not surprisingly, there are posts about multiple disgraceful Israeli actions. To be fair, RantWoman also did not find anything yet about Mr. Ben Gvir's disgusting video. Maybe the video will be a topic for the Sunday morning talkies.
RantWoman is having trouble getting past Ms. Sawant's reputation for stridency and irritating protests to evaluate what she is actually basing her campaign on but RantWoman did notice:
A site called the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights has endorsed a number of candidates who have pledged to oppose aid to Israel. Ms. Sawant is not listed--yet?
Ms Sawant's Twitter / X feed mostly includes campaign events and links to other progressive thinkers. ALice Walker has endorsed her campaign. The King County labor council has not. And so far, no mention of Mr. Ben Gvir's video or a lot of other relatable policy points.
Here are links to two videos RantWoman has not yet taken time to pick through.
Back to the new ordinance. RantWoman is not a lawyer. The ordinance sounds dubious on first amendment grounds but public radio reports that similar ordinances have survived in other jurisdictions.
RantWoman appreciates CREATIVE protests. For example, people placed bottles of fake urine strategically around the Met Gala to remind celebrants that workers at Amazon warehouse pee into soda bottles because they are penalized for taking breaks. Say what you will about worker rights--and there is a LOT to say. But robots do not need bathroom breaks.
RantWoman thinks different things on different days about protests directly at someone's home. That said, RantWoman is having NO trouble thinking of protests that would comply with the letter of the law, share protest with the entire neighborhood and regularly leave other evidence of all the things to protest about Israeli behavior.
Round the clock silent vigil up and down the entire street?
Random dumping of rubble reminiscent of Gaza bombing rubble?
RantWoman HAS OPINIONS about many issues in the 9th district campaign. RantWoman also considers it very important to uphold freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Enough said?
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Turkey, Pan-turkism, Organization of Turkic States
#Turkey #Russia #Ukraine #pipelines #Central Asia
Interesting summary of Turkey's relationship with former Soviet Republics, alphabet issues, pipeline options, role of China, position of different countries about the war in Ukraine
Canada offers the US legal guardianship
#Canada
Canada takes legal guardianship of the United States
"When you find a competent adult to finally take over, we will gladly step aside."
Cenk and Ana on the DNC Post Mortem
RantWoman is posting this for consideration.
RantWoman concurs with some of the observations AND RantWoman also wants more of a holistic vision.
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Speaking of loss of life: Owwww
#Ukraine #Russia #DroneAttack
"I cannot shed tears for loss of life on either side"
ordinary people on either side did not ask for this war
Speaking of loss of life.
Kremlin’s FSB Elite JUST Hit: 100+ Officers Gone
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Conscientious Objection?
Pacific Yearly Meeting notes:
Our government does not grant conscientious objector status when a draft is not active. The only way to achieve it is to petition your draft board. The US has used a draft five times to force men to die in war. With Congress showing it has no real power to resist the president dragging our country into war, it’s a very dangerous time.
If you are age 18-25, you can build your case for conscientious objector status. Become a member to your local meeting. If you are spiritually opposed to war, then write that in your membership request letter.
If you are age 18-25, you can build your case for conscientious objector status. Become a member to your local meeting. If you are spiritually opposed to war, then write that in your membership request letter.
RantWoman notes in a "Mean to research" light:
1. There is some activity, (pending legislation or executive order?) in the direction of making draft registration automatic.
2. RantWoman is unclear whether automatic draft registration applies to both men and women.
3.RantWoman has the impression that a conscientious objection claim can refer to a specific war even if one can imagine circumstances they would be willing to bear arms for.
4. There are periodic conversations about universal public service.
ALL of these points merit further research, by both people articulating conscientious objector beliefs and by anyone seeking to pull the US out of its current militarization trend.
Monday, May 18, 2026
250 years since the signing of the Declaration of independence
#Rededicate250 #ChristianNationalism #SemiQuincentennial
Update.
The President is a robot with a crowd size problem. Oh, and God needs a ballroom?
The Terrifying Reality of Christian Nationalism and the MAGA Church [WHO RAISED Y'ALL?]
Presenting Republican Jesus
What did not make it to posted yesterday, along with wondering, foreshadowing, what all historical excursions the US will be treated to between now and the Fourth of July:
RantWoman could be home scrubbing her floor.
RantWoman could be responsibly adulting and looking at her schedule for tomorrow.
RantWoman could be holding forth about AI in academia and the world of computing for seniors losing vision.
Instead, RantWoman is going to let morbid curiosity loose on todays #Rededicate250 experience in Washington DC. This is supposed to be the opening of a months long series of events, history lessons, boasts about the hand of God, the greatest nation on earth and HOPEFULLY some actual reflection on the occasion of the "semiquincentennial" of where the country has gone and where it will yet go. HOPEFULLY there will be room for people of many faiths or no faith. Hopefully.
May 17, 1776: the day of fasting and prayer
Rededicate 250: Washington, DC
Lucky Secretary Rubio gets to be the first face seen here, with on video to frame the event before we link to speeches.
FULL SPEECH: Pastors Lou Engle & Dutch Sheets on Foundational Covenant of Old Testament - 05/17/26
"On this day of jubilee, release your slaves."
FULL SPEECH: Pete Hegseth Speaks at Massive Prayer Gathering on National Mall for Freedom 250 | AC1E
Sen. Tim Scott delivers impassioned speech at Rededicate 250 National Prayer Jubilee
Irony: quote Martin Luther King and Frederick Douglas, and refer to the Civil rights movement
Could we have equal time for, say, Sen. Raphael Warnock?
House Speaker Mike Johnson prays with attendees at Rededicate 250 National Prayer Jubilee
Bless us oh lord and spare us the reflex to barf on someone's shoes about the gap between inspirational verbiage and actual reality.
Framing by multiple voices
"One Nation under God": US President Trump joins national prayer rally • FRANCE 24 English
And an alternate intro
America’s 250th birthday just got hijacked by the Christian right
No, young men are actually not more religious—here’s what’s happening instead. #culturewars
5+ hours from C-SPAN
America 250: "Rededicate 250" Celebrating USA's Religious Heritage
5+ hours from USA today
Live: The National Jubilee of Prayer takes place in Washington, DC ahead of Freedom 250 celebration
7+ hours from Fox
LIVE: Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving
Entire 8 hour stream which is likely to get clipped and snipped
LIVE Rededicate 250 on May 17: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Week 11 of the Strait of Hormuz blockage
#Iran #StraitOfHormuz #China #India #Japan #Pakistan
Possible international force to help open strait.
watch oil supply, demand, refining capacity
lots of demand for Panama canal, but concern about low water in the summer
Iran making deals with individual countries.
US trying to block movement of Iranian oil
And a couple more videos, just because
More battleships? Yes? No?
The Trump Class battleship: the USS Defiant
Check out the NetAssessment podcast
RantWoman means to watch later
And Secretary Hegseth goes to Congress
"Future energy dominance by the US?"
National security advisor should be coordinating but Rubio has too much to do.
maintain pressure on Iran...regime change
Sen. Coons question about tactical vs strategic victory
"If the US controls the Strait of Hormuz how do we reopen the strait to commercial shipping?
Not a military solution to reopen the Strait but must do a political solution
Senator Murphy: "lots of evidence from military history that countries under attack will put up with a lot of misery to preserve national pride"
Who breaks first the US or Iran?
US military effort would be extremely costly.
Every day the strait is closed will take a week to recover.
Who hit the UAE nuclear power plant?
#NuclearPowerPlant #CleanPower #NuclearSafety
Posted for background about pressures from many directions about the cease fire and the more general regional conflicts.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Lifting Sanctions against Russia. Multiple Trump Family ties to Sanctioned Russian Former SU Oligarchs + CHINA
#TrumpCrimeFamily
Trump properties have drawn LOTS of people with ties to Russian oligarchs / mob figures who paid cash for their units.
The proposed Trump Tower Tbilisi flies in the faces of people who have been going out to the streets of Tbilisi every night for 2+ years protesting against Russian involvement in Georgian elections.
This video cites credible numbers about how much Russia is making being able to sell oil with the easing of sanctions. Oil earnings are funding support of Iran but are not enough to salvage the war on Ukraine. Such nasty tradeoffs and RantWoman suspects that crypto and sovreign wealth funds hide even more objectionable matters.
Such nasty tradeoffs
Oh, and Russia, China: a starving lack of wolves...out of desperation
and RTV mouthpiece Vladimir Solovyov complaining about how dependent Russia is on China
Interesting comment about internal repression occurs when a county is in a state of weakness.
Chian debt
China buying oil from Russia but demanding massive discounts
China helps with a LNG pipeline and demands product at same prices as Russians pay.
China feeds Russia a drip feed of backing for war. Every month Russia stays in weakens Russia. China purchasing Russian gold at discounted price and paying in YUAN which can only be used for Chinese goods at inflated prices.
Road signs in Siberia in Chinese
"persecuted citizens" in others' territory.
Ask an Iranian Advisor about affecting the entire global economy with a single decision
#Iran #StraitOfHormuz #NuclearWeapons
First Things First: Force Open Hormuz Strait
Let's talk about Trump rejecting Iran’s peace deal… and Iran not seeming to care....
Robert Kagan on why he believes U.S. faces likely defeat in Iran
And from a few days ago
Trump's War on Iran & Strait of Hormuz Crisis Reveal "Limits of American Imperial Power"
Monday, May 11, 2026
Project Freedom ?
#Iran #SaudiArabia #UAE #StraitOfHormuz
RantWoman is collecting links that seem related hopefully for more in-depth analysis.
"If Iran had wanted a nuclear weapon, it would have gotten one a long time ago."
enriched uranium: a bargaining chip?
A bigger worry than Iran's nukes especially if the Strait of Hormuz stays closed
#Iran #StriaitOfHormuz #Ukraine #FoodSecurity #BlackSeaAgreement #PriceShock #SupplyShock
The "bigger worry than Iran's nukes" spin is RantWoman's
30% of the world's fertilizer comes through the Strait of Hormuz
UN mechaism to reopen the Strait.
:the goal of the US is to get into a time machine to get back to the world before..."
Believe the ISRAELI pressabout MOSSAD role in the deadly iran protests.
#Iran #protests #MOSSAD #palantir #SurveillanceState #GetMoneyOutOfPolitics
Rantwoman has wondered for a while whether someone outside Iran has been trying to foment the protests in Iran where thousands of people were just mowed down by the IRGC.
RantWoman does NOT like probably having guessed correctly
Friendly observation: people in Israel have universal free healthcare. US keeps shoveling cash toward Israel, no matter the human rights violations? Help RantWoman out: HOW IS THIS #AmericaFirst?
And why should the US EVER send another penny to Israel?
Sunday, May 10, 2026
"Excursion" with hunger games to follow
#StraitOfHormuz #Food #FoodInsecurity
Humanitarian issues and supply chain issues as the #StraitOfHormuz loom WAY larger on RantWoman's fret list than #HantaVirus
On the bright side?
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Fish wars in the pacific NW
#FishWars
The short version:
After 20 years, the Bolt decision: gave WHITE PEOPLE access to 50% of the NATIVES' fishery.
More of the history.
RantWoman is posting this to allow readers to dip toes into a LONG history of mistreatment of native Americans in connection with PROMISES to allow natives to their historical fishing ground.
There is quaker history that RantWoman is touching imperfectly but does not want to lose track of.
Fish-ins.
Celebration and joy was part of the movement
The Fish Wars: Marlon Brando and the biggest court case in Native US History
Happy (?) Victory Day Russia / Ukraine
#Russia #Ukraine #VictoryDay2026
This video alternately makes RantWoman want to SCREAM and cry.
The SCREAM Part: LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Maybe it is not safe to do that, but the suggestion definitely comes to mind.
The Cry part: US Creators should not need Russia to be able to message well about homeless veterans, pharmaceutical companies. and multiple other national ills. And it is heartbreaking to think right now how much US the reality departs from the images cultivated around the world for decades.
As for why to start a #VictoryDay reflection this way, especially this year. Tackle that on the other side of this video.
Basically, Victory Day will be WAY different from past versions.
RantWoman aspired to pull some points out of the following videos but will not get it done in time to post on the actual days.
Jake Broe
A coup attempt?
No mobile network in Moscow.
Ukraine launched 268+ drones against multiple targets
Moscow coercion, not seriousness about negotiations.
and voila, the actual parade
And a Russian exile encounters Portuguese bureaucracy
Friday, May 8, 2026
Why oh why is this framed as native rights vs renewable energy sources
Posted without further comment beyond the title.
Time for an exorcism: Send in the Seashells? 86 47?
Harry Litman rebels against President #StableGenius plastering himself everywhere.
So time for an exorcism?
Or should we just call in some seashells.
86 47
everywherr. T shirts. Mugs. Bumper stickers ....
I feel sorry for anyone who needs to double down on reasons for people to hate him.
The whole topic conjures up images of the post-communist world swarming around to tear down the Lenin statues.
RantWoman! An exorcism? Really? How will that heal what ails the country?
RantWoman you keep talking about this T-Shirt Idea. If it would be such a great free speech protest why don't you just do it? Make a design. Hook up with one of those online platforms. Set a price and do it. Um, the design has to be something like
86 47
Resign?
Retire?
25th Amendment??
And what do you know, among many examples. No sea shells though
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Finally! Congressmembers ask: What are Israel's red lines about using nuclear weapons. Now....
#Israel #NuclearWeapons #RedLines #Iran #JCPOA
Finally. Finally.
"Everybody" knows Israel has nuclear weapons, and not just from having a grad student with IDF ties for a politics TA once. Israel is not a signatory to the Non-proliferation treaty. Israel has been certain for years that Iran is two weeks away from a nuclear weapon. The inspection and downward enrichment regime agreed to under the #JCPOA proved otherwise. President #StableGenius ripped up the #JCPOA perhaps because of this Israeli certainty, or perhaps because the JCPOA was negotiated over two years by competent diplomats and bore President Obama's signature.
In general, Israel's idea of non-proliferation includes a sense of entitlement to bomb its neighbors' civilian nuclear facilities, Osirak in Iraq and more recently Iran.
Iran understandably took Trump's abandonment of the #JCPOA as an invitation to resume its enrichment program. And President #StableGenius goes on about how crazy leaders should not have nuclear weapons and about "nuclear dust." Probably just as well that no one has tried to explain that uranium hexafluoride is a gas, but oh, honey LOOK IN THE MIRROR.
And by look in the mirror, RantWoman also means DON'T PICK A STUPID FIGHT with Pope Leo XIV, who like multiple previous popes is against ALL nuclear weapons.
RantWoman digresses. What is lighting up RantWoman's keyboard is the following item from Rep. Joaquin Castro onTwitter /X
For nearly six decades the U.S. has voluntarily remained in the dark on Israel's nuclear capabilities.
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) May 6, 2026
The ambiguity ends now.
There is too much at stake to accept ignorance. We are at war alongside Israel against Iran without knowing what their red lines are for using a… pic.twitter.com/oe0KF9MnKQ
Rep. Castro did not supply a reasonable link, so RantWoman will go look for the proposal tomorrow. But FINALLY it occurs to someone to think strategically about whether Israel would ever use nuclear weapons for any other reason to threaten its neighbors. This posture is comical: Iran's proxies, Israel's neighbors are clearly not deterred from plenty of non-nuclear mayhem. 19th century German general Clausewitz may or may not be helpful in this situation, but if "war is an extension of politics by another name," could people actually TRY some politics and see whether it would be possible to cut back on the warfare?
Meanwhile, President #StableGenius threatens to use nuclear weapons as if he were saying "pass the salt" at the dinner table. MAYBE wise military officers can still hide the US nuclear codes, but RantWoman would love to go a step further than Rep. Castro. What if the world demanded the same level of inspection and monitoring of Israel as is being demanded of Iran?
There are lots of political steps between where things stand now and resolving nuclear issues. The first step would be to persuade the current administration that backtracking from pointless absolutism and getting on a path that the #JCPOA was going to need anyway would be a victory.
There. Done going off, at least for tonight. RantWoman will try to look at the 14-point plan.
And RantWoman will TRY not to growl too loudly about the State Department just letting 200 senior diplomats go or about having negotiations in the hands of two real estate bros with negligible diplomatic experience...
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Saturday, May 2, 2026
A historically proven solution exists, and the question is who is in the way.
#Iran #Russia #China #JCPOA #Blockade #StraifOfHormuz #IAEA
RantWoman encourages readers to watch both the first videos because RantWoman is not going to summarize all the relevant insights.
"The blockade is theater."
"The war powers resolution is constitutionally speaking..."
Commanders "We have done what can be done from the air" but movement of special ops has accelerated.
Putin message: "Keep your forces away from Iran." In this case, NOT bluffing.
Bombing unifies a population.
450kg of Enriched Uranium LOCKED IN — Iran's Worst Nightmare Begins | Lawrence Wilkerson
Russia offers to take Iran's enriched uranium. Maintain or elevate RosAtom's place.
THE SAME PROCESS AS THE #JCPOA
Only issue is ensuring constraints on what Russia does with the lowered enrichment uranium
If the US declines twice.... bad strategic consequences.
Iran parallel tracks:
And economic uncertainties, how the US will look to the rest of the world.Trump Backs Down! Iran Launch Pads Ready for Massive Strike on US, Israel | Col Doug Macgregor
China?
Mrs. Adelson lobbying, unrealistic but
Offramp for the US. Is Netanyahu still in charge?
10 years at least to restore any destroyed military assets.
Charlie Kirk quote!
"We can't make Israel first on a global scale"
The US needs to re-evaluate... due to lots of changed conditions.
Everybody makes bad calls sometimes even Presidents. Military action will destroy the US.
Setback for Trump as Pakistan opens up land border for Iran to avoid US blockade | Janta Ka Reporter
And in a different vein
The #SecDef is incompetent (and, this is RantWoman, severely lacks strategic insight.)
Small countries standing up to larger ones, Russia scales back annual parade, and...
#Ukraine #China #Taiwan #Russia #DroneWarfare #AirDefense
This is a bunch of videos with frank views of Ukraine, Russia, Iran and offramps from different situations.
RantWoman will pick a couple subsets and write what seem like key points.
How a small power can stand up against a larger power
"Modern technology favors the defender."
small cheap naval drones: Ukraine and Iran
natural barriers
Tuapse Oil refinery
Russia has worse problems about air defense than Ukraine.
Thanks to Ukrainian drones, Russia cannot safely parade its military materiel.
Silicon Curtain
"Grow potatoes"
More on Iran
Pyotr Kurzin
Friday, May 1, 2026
Today was the Senate's turn with the Secretary of #WarCrimes
#Iran #SecDef #SenateHearing #Warcrimes
The whole dang hearing.
Hegseth gets interrogated about #DEI issues
Elizabeth Warren has QUESTIONS.
"We don't want to deal with this Congress and their pesky appropriations process."
Why have we abandoned Ukraine?
"What does this cost us and what does it achieve for the American people?...How many years to replenish?"
From the House Hearing yesterday
And from a different hearing
And about military newspaper Stars and Stripes
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Harry Litman interviews Jake Sullivan
#Iran #JCPOA
RantWoman thinks she has comments but did not note them on the first pass so Jake Sullivan, JCPOA negotiator gets to speak for himself.
The importance of numbers--and an address by King Charles III
#USA250 #SemiQuincentennial
(RantWoman is a VERY bad friend. Just as a pro free-speech protest, RantWoman would consider making a series of T-shirts that have the offensive numbers and words like RETIRE or "VOTE THEM OUT" or "which nap is the President on so far?" or maybe Impeach, though the third time is not the charm.)
Sorry Your Highness. RantWoman needed the intro and consternation about numbers from Lawrence O'Donnell as an intro ahead of your speech.. We thank you, though, for reminding the #StableGenius in the White House and the Congress about the importance of #ChecksAnd Balances.
And meanwhile the #StableGenius interacts with history.
Banditry at Sea and fireworks at the UN.
#Iran #StraitOfHormux #China #Russa #UN #CommercialShipping #Liberia #FreedomOfNavigation
#Indonesia #NetZero #Climate #StatelessVessels
This item is pretty technical about maritime law and esoterica.
Legal rational for US boardings. Container ship shortage because of ships stranded in the Persian Gulf
Pricing in the trucking industry
UAE withdrawing from OPEC
Whose oil and LNG are going where and why. Who might ship back to coal
Panama canal lock prices go up.
Oil supply disrupted for shipping. "bunker pricing"
The word from the Secretary of #WarCrimes: Democrats are a bigger enemy than...
#Iran #MilitaryAction #SecDef
NO WAY does RantWoman have the intestinal fortitude to sit through the video of this whole hearing.
But it's interesting what different commentators fixate on.
Ana looks at a whole spectrum of costs
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
#DonSnoreleone is SUCH a gangster Zambia edition
Posed FYI without further comment
This is horrifying and barely getting media coverage.
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) April 29, 2026
Trump set April 30 as a deadline for the Zambian Govt. They must either accept Trump's new health funding agreement to have access to critical AIDS meds—and thus give the USA expanded access to its precious mineral resources…
Ballroom? Which ballroom?
#WHCD #WHCD2026
RantWoman has probably spent too much time down YouTube rabbit holes about the gunman at this year's White House Correspondents' dinner.
RantWoman has not watched every second of all the videos linked here but has tried to pull out points that seem important to her but is seasoning further comment.
Harry Litman outlines a lot of details without all the fluff and angles other sources are chasing.
Link to video above.
WILD New Details Emerge About Trump ASSASSINATION Attempt
Trump SEIZES on Shooting to Push Ballroom Plan
FBI Agent: The WHCD was “staged” by Trump but not in the way many believe
Dean Obeidallah and retired FBI agent Frank Figliuzzi.
Discussion of the shooter's manifesto and moral reasoning.
"Not staged but manipulated immediately afterward."
Why the Presumed Trump Assassination Attempt Will Not Improve His Polling Numbers
Trump Assassinated? Rushed Off Stage After Shooter Opens Fire at White House | Iran Lego Animation
Cenk Explains Everything STRANGE About The WHCD Shooting
🚨MAJOR RED FLAGS Surface on SHOOTING from Trump Admin….
Who actually fired the bullet that hit the Secret service officer?
Paraphrasing: Now we need a taxpayer funded ballroom to respond to the threat environment
great statements from Congressmembers
Hitch funding to the reconciliation bill about DHS
White House Correspondents Dinner Attack Is Not Going Like They Planned
Reese Waters
Comics
Jimmy Kimmel on Melania & Donald Trump Demanding His Firing & The White House Correspondents’ Dinner
John Lovett on Jimmy Kimmel
Jon Lovett on The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Jimmy Kimmel's Joke & the D.C. Grindr Party
"By the time I heard about it, the conversation was about ballroom....The WH ballroom does not become any more legal because someone did something illegal and stupid at another ballroom."
AI version of security camera video
Manifesto: why is Kash Patel the only person not on the list?
Why buckshot not slugs?
"The best way not to ...is just not to do it."
MAGA started tweeting about the ballroom before the #Stablegenius held his press conference.
Trump Demands Ballroom After WHCD Shooting, Kash Patel "Likely to Be Fired": A Closer Look
Trump Spins Dinner Shooting for Ballroom Agenda & Blitzer Is CNN's One-Shoed Hero | The Daily Show
RantWoman appreciates the audio description
Gun violence? "What about the un-ballroomed rest of us?"
AOC
Trump STUNNED as SHOOTING PLAN BACKFIRES in CAPITOL!!!!
Ken Harbaugh
Trump Press Scheme RAMPS UP after SHOOTING…
And the #WHCD NOT at the White House but possibly not at the Hilton anymore
'It would be inappropriate': Carol Leonnig explains why WHCD wouldn't be held at Trump's ballroom
Sunday, April 26, 2026
The White House Correspondents Dinner according to Cenk Uygur, with an academic digression
#WHCD #WHCD2026 #SovietUnion
Cenk (Jenk) Uygur is as good a source as anyone to go point by point through a bunch of "too early to tell" points about the gunman outside the White House correspondents' dinner. Cenk has not picked up that security was less than usual for a gathering with 5 of 6 people in the Presidential line of succession in attendance.
The last part of the video Cenk heads straight toward all the ways Israel is not held to the same standards as everyone else and reads comments from his channels.
And some media clips
Full disclosure: the Washington Hilton hosts manty academic conferences. RantWoman once attended an area studies conference there. The conference was in November after the 1991 disintegration of the Soviet Union. Aside from a range of humanities topics, there were many papers about pipelines. There was a sense of many people needing to redefine their lives with the national security environment changing. Drug trafficking was on the minds of many as a national security concern.
The moment that most sticks out to RantWoman: the session with a CIA recruiter getting regaled from the lobby / hallway by a flock of women attending a Salvation Army event. As the recruiter was trying to interest area studies scholars in careers, the Salvation Army came through singing "Ain't gonna study war no more."
TRUTH
RantWoman considers this divine intervention rather than a security problem and frets that there might be a much more uptight reaction these days.
Kash and the Secretary of #WarCrimes STARS of AI slopaganda
Iran-linked video diss tracks based on the weekly news stream are one of RantWoman's very guilty pleasures, with the following additional comments.
Gee: shouldn't the people of Iran have the opportunity to make fun of their leaders without getting mowed down by the tens of thousands? Welp, hard to gain access right now with SEVERE internet information control within the country. Oh, and if only the fate of formerly very valuable examples of US democracy at its best, the Radio Liberty / Radio Free Europe franchise were not up in the air thanks to the ravages of DOGE and some step in court-based limbo.
Iran seems to be following the advice of Sun Tzu (?): never interrupt your enemy when they are in the process of making a mistake."
And US-based interests seem to be grabbing advice from an authoritarian playbook: penalize channels who host the content, oh and eat away at (or monetize?) the wayback machine internet archive all the better to try to make history tell only the most flattering stories. RantWoman almost feels as if she should download content in case key items get erased. Almost.
With all that to set the mood, please enjoy the videos.
They reflect depressing truths which, among other things are serious deviations from concerns from RantWoman's grad school colleagues wanting to keep their reputations as clean as possible in order to qualify for security clearances.
IRANS New LEGO DISS TRACK Druken HEGSETH 🤭 #viral #fdt #war #funny #lol
Sea Shany with a side of misquoted Bible
Speaking of Overkill, both textually and in the "kinetic" sense, this link should yield the verse in all English translations available on Bible Gateway.
RantWoman is not going to chase down the Pulp Fiction quote. This quote is consistent with Hegseth's previous quote from the Psalms about breaking the teeth of enemies. Isn't that threat alone supposed to be a war crime?
And Kash Patel, the Epstein Class, hostile work environments
So many questions:
Shouldn't reasonable vetting have caught alcohol issues before confirmation.
Why would a security team need a battering ram. Couldn't they just think of some reason to ask for help from hotel staff or were they complicit in hiding the unacceptable behavior.
President #StableGenius promised to drain the swamp and hire only the best people. Instead everything is SO MUCH swampier and the best he can do is the bottom of the barrel, drunks when he hates drunkenness....
Oh swell. It's a wild Saturday night Play the sea shanty again.
Saturday, April 25, 2026
The Secretary of War Crimes--and profiteering
#Polymarket #Crypto
President #StableGenius is doing exactly NOTHING for ordinary people with affordability concerns but LOTS of people are making money on what looks like insider trading and market manipulation.
Here's hoping people will be constructively FURIOUS about this as the midterms approach.
Sal on the blockade and why ships get seized
#Iran #StraitsOfHormuz
False flagged ships
Ships under sanctions or OFAC (Office of Foreign Access Control) sanctions
Making it Very, VERY hard to ship oil from Iran
Iran is running out of space to pump oil but shutting down production results in real difficulty restarting.
Reference to other channels
Some ships trying to run the strait in Iranian territorial waters but US blockade seems to be biting.
Dozens of tankers stopped and herded into Indian ocean port.
Friday, April 24, 2026
Russian propagandists start to speak out; Ukraine seizes FSB base
#Ukraine #Russia
Look at all the people starting to speak out.
The "kinetic" details of the operation in detail in the first fideo. The main point: Ukraine has destroyed one FSB base but some small Russian progress.
Prince Harry addresses Kyiv forum and King Charles III visits the US for #USA250
#Kyiv #Ukraine #Britain #NATO #BudapestMemorandum #Nonproliferation #Monarchy #Democracy
The only obvious thing linking these two videos is the British royal family, but RantWoman considers the juxtaposition an interesting basis for reflection about the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Where have the two countries gotten to?
RantWoman is intrigued to see Prince Harry step out with such dignity.
How will it go when the King and the wannabe king meet?
How much death and destruction can be laid on a path from Epstein?
Please just enjoy the videos.
Trump REBUKED by King Charles Ahead of US VISIT
The Court of History on the King of Great Britain visiting for #USA250
Russia brought a planeload of humanitarian aid to Beirut and repatriates citizens on the way back
#Russia #Lebanon #HumanitarianAid #Evacuation
Critique of war on civilians
Kushner has LONG ties with Netanyahu; he is NOT a neutral arbiter
realignment of influence because US has abdicated moral and diplomatic authority.
Justice Thomas Speaks and ....
#SCOTUS #USA250
Expect LOTS of public reflections on US history as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of Independence approach.
RantWoman here presents SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas recent speech at the U of TX at Austin and several strands of commentary as is, without in-depth commentary by RantWoman.
The Clarence Thomas Lecture at The University of Texas at Austin
Freedom comes with responsibility
Judge Luttig goes scorched earth.
"one of the most intellectually dishonest speeches from a sitting Supreme Court Justice that i have seen."
what the interplay between Thomas and the comments.
"Woodrow Wilson favored administrative progressivism"
"God uses people through government."
"Historically, contrary to what Justice Thomas says, it has been the federal government thatforces states to live up to the principles of the declaration of Independence."
And stashed for reference, regarding the shadow docket
Pope Leo's visit to Africa
#PopeLeo
Pope Leo's Full Press Conference on Return Flight from Africa | EWTN News
Speech in Italian without subtitles. Questions in Italian, Spanish, English
Questions and Answers in English
"Very kind, Very smart, no pushover."
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