These lawyer billboards are getting out of control

Credit Michael Rothman. 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝟒𝟔𝟑 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒. 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐒. Every time someone trots out the Crusades to lecture Christians or the West, they leave out four centuries of history. I'm putting it back on the record. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 Muhammad died in 632. Within three years, Muslim armies had taken Damascus (635). The next year, Antioch (636). The year after that, the entire Holy Land (637) — the spiritual center of Christendom, gone. Armenia became the first Christian nation fully conquered (639). Egypt, the Coptic Christian power, fell two years later (641). By 650, Muslim forces had reached southern Italy and Cyprus, taking thousands of captives as "𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴" and "𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴." Then came Spain — Muslim armies crossed from North Africa in 711 and overran most of Iberia by 715. In roughly 80 years, Christianity lost the Middle East, North Africa, and most of the Iberian Peninsula. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 — 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 This was not exploration. This was conquest. In 717, Muslim forces besieged Constantinople itself — the capital of Eastern Christendom. The siege lasted a year before they were repelled. Had it succeeded, the path into Europe would have been wide open. In 730, they invaded France. Charles Martel stopped them at Tours. In 792, the ruler of Al-Andalus called for a second invasion of France. Repelled. In 848, a third invasion of France. Repelled again. In 827, Muslims invaded Sicily and Italy, persecuting monks and pillaging Christian communities. Sicily would remain under Islamic rule for 250 years. In 846, they invaded Rome itself and forced the Pope to pay tribute. By 909, they had taken Sardinia. This was relentless, coordinated, and existential. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 In 937, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher — built over the site Christians believe is the tomb of Christ — was burned to the ground. More churches in Jerusalem were torched alongside it. In 1009, the Church of the Resurrection was destroyed. By 1012, Al-Hakim's oppressive decrees against Christians had begun in earnest. Christian pilgrims could no longer safely visit the sites of Christ's ministry. The holiest city in Christendom was ruled by a hostile power systematically destroying the faith itself. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 In 1071, Muslim Turkish forces shattered the Byzantine army at Manzikert and occupied most of Anatolia. Constantinople was now directly threatened. In 1094, Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos sent envoys to Rome begging Western Christendom for military aid. In 1095, Pope Urban II declared the First Crusade. 𝟒𝟔𝟑 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲.

Someone is funding this. They're all clean, fed, and nicely dressed cause they just hopped off the chartered buses for a photo session. They sure as heck ain't walking from Central America all the way through Mexico until they arrive at our border.

I’m no expert. I am just a guy who talks to dogs, but if you’re openly laughing while the victim’s names are being read during a memorial you are some evil bastards.

How on earth could the city that suffered the worst Islamic terrorist attack in history elect a Muslim mayor?

Godspeed Gunny Doin hand to hand combat for ya

THE “O’CLUB” / END OF AN ERA / APPRECIATE IT Military aviators of my era and earlier literally grew up in Officer’s Clubs (O Clubs). It was an essential element of our culture. Most of us didn’t know at the time, but it was expected. Back in the golden age of aviation, the Officers’ Club wasn’t just a bar—it was the beating heart of the pilot soul. Yes, we had our glorious crew chiefs and our kickass maintenance. But, this was “our” place. Picture this: leather flight jackets slung over chairs, Top Gun vibes in full swing as crews belted out “Sweet Caroline” or some lame squadron song, while somebody “bat hanged” over the bar, to a packed house of sharp-dressed aviators and their dates. Lingerie nights, stripper nights, promotion ceremonies, pilot training graduations, buses rolling in with local college girls, and enough whiskey-fueled war stories and lies to make your flight suit blush. Red Flag brawls ended with Military Working Dogs playing bouncer, and mornings-after were cured with greasy eggs and black coffee before the next sortie at a dive Vegas casino. Those smoke-filled O Clubs forged legends, welded squadrons into families, and built the unbreakable esprit de corps that won wars. Membership was not only a right, a privilege, but a requirement. It was essential. Then Tailhook hit, and the fun police dropped the hammer. Bill Clinton, most notably. I witnessed it and pleaded. No more open bars, strict fraternization rules, mandatory memberships, and eventually the sad merger into “all-ranks” lounges that felt about as exciting as a squadron safety brief, a “ FOD walk,” or an operational inspection. (ORI) We needed to clean up the worst of it, sure… but damn if we didn’t lose the magic that turned young pilots into warriors who’d follow each other into hell with a grin. And stories to reinforce it! Raise a glass to the O Club era—the wild, wonderful glue of military aviation. Miss those days? Yeah… me too. A lot!

How do you like these porch swings I’m looking at at Walmart?

I am in tears. After President Trump PERSONALLY gives the World Cup Trophy to Spain, the Captain and team want Trump to Celebrate with them 🙏 Liberals do NOT want you to see this ❤️

To the woman at Target who pulled her child close and whispered "dangerous dog" when she saw my Bruno... Let me tell you about that "scary" dog. Bruno completed three tours in Afghanistan. He helped detect 47 lEDs that could have taken the lives of American soldiers. In Kandahar, he was injured by shrapnel while protecting his handler - my son, Staff Sergeant Manny Rivera. When Manny returned home struggling with severe nightmares, Bruno stayed pressed against him so he could finally rest. On the Fourth of July, when fireworks would trigger panic, Bruno always sensed it first. He'd climb into Manny's lap — all 68 pounds of him — and stay there, breathing with him until the fear passed. Bruno has been awarded a Purple Heart and a Combat Action Ribbon. His body carries scars that reflect experiences most people could never imagine. So yes, to that woman at Target - he is dangerous. Dangerous to anyone who would harm his family. Dangerous to those who threatened the troops he protected. And dangerous to the belief that bully breeds can't be brave, loyal heroes. This "monster" served his country. What did you do today? Welcome home, Bruno. You've more than earned your place to be here with us. It you want to see Bruno now... the way he looks, the way he rests peacefully beside Manny, comment "Bruno" and I'll show you his latest picture.