Spooky Haunts: A Haunting in Tennessee

History, Paranormal 6 Minutes

Most Halloween stories are simply fun, but there are a few made more memorable by an element of authenticity. Such is the case with the legend of the Bell Witch, a tale that’s been a part of Southern folklore for almost two centuries.

The story begins in 1817, when a farmer named John Bell moved from North Carolina to a 230-acre farm in Robertson County, Tennessee, a rural area not far from the Kentucky border. Legend has it that soon after arriving, Bell and his family began hearing strange noises: rattling chains, choking sounds and heavy knocking on the walls. Eventually, the family heard voices, or rather, a single voice belonging to the witch for which the story is named.

Frightened, Bell told members of the local community, and people from all around the area had soon heard about the ghostly occurrences. Some neighbors stayed overnight at Bell’s cabin so they could experience it for themselves. While some narratives claim that the ghost was a male slave whom Bell had killed in the past, others say it was someone he had cheated in North Carolina who had come back from beyond the grave for revenge. The most popular theory though is that the witch was a neighbor called Kate Batts who had a strong dislike for Bell and his daughter, Betsy.  

So widely spread was the news about The Bell Witch that people came from hundreds of miles around hoping to hear the spirit’s shrill voice or witness a manifestation of its vile temper. When word of the haunting reached Nashville, one of its most famous citizens, General Andrew Jackson, decided to gather a party of friends and journey to Adams to investigate.

The General, who had earned his tough reputation in many conflicts with Native Americans, was determined to confront the phenomenon and either expose it as a hoax or send the spirit away. A chapter in M. V. Ingram’s 1894 book, An Authenticated History of the Famous Bell Witch – considered by many to be the best account of the story – is devoted to Jackson’s visit:

Gen. Jackson’s party came from Nashville with a wagon loaded with a tent, provisions, etc., bent on a good time and much fun investigating the witch. The men were riding on horseback and were following along in the rear of the wagon as they approached near the place, discussing the matter and planning how they were going to do up the witch. Just then, traveling over a smooth level piece of road, the wagon halted and stuck fast. The driver popped his whip, whooped and shouted to the team, and the horses pulled with all of their might, but could not move the wagon an inch. It was dead stuck as if welded to the earth. Gen. Jackson commanded all men to dismount and put their shoulders to the wheels and give the wagon a push, but all in vain; it was no go. The wheels were then taken off, one at a time, and examined and found to be all right, revolving easily on the axles. Gen. Jackson after a few moments thought, realizing that they were in a fix, threw up his hands exclaiming, “By the eternal, boys, it is the witch.” Then came the sound of a sharp metallic voice from the bushes, saying, “All right General, let the wagon move on, I will see you again to-night.” The men in bewildered astonishment looked in every direction to see if they could discover from whence came the strange voice, but could find no explanation to the mystery. The horses then started unexpectedly of their own accord, and the wagon rolled along as light and smoothly as ever.

According to some versions of the story, Jackson did indeed encounter The Bell Witch that night:

Betsy Bell screamed all night from the pinching and slapping she received from the Witch, and Jackson’s covers were ripped off as quickly as he could put them back on, and he had his entire party of men were slapped, pinched and had their hair pulled by the witch until morning, when Jackson and his men decided to hightail it out of Adams. Jackson was later quoted as saying, “I’d rather fight the British in New Orleans than to have to fight the Bell Witch.”

The torment of the Bell house continued for years, culminating in the ghost’s ultimate act of vengeance upon the man she claimed had cheated her: she took responsibility for his death. In October 1820, Bell was struck with an illness while walking to the pigsty of his farm. Some believe that he suffered a stroke, since thereafter he had difficulty speaking and swallowing. In and out of bed for several weeks, his health declined. The Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, tells this part of the story:

On the morning of December 19, he failed to awake at his regular time. When the family noticed he was sleeping unnaturally, they attempted to arouse him. They discovered Bell was in a stupor and couldn’t be completely awakened. John Jr. went to the medicine cupboard to get his father’s medicine and noticed it was gone with a strange vial in its place. No one claimed to have replaced the medicine with the vial. A doctor was summoned to the house. The witch began taunting that she had place the vial in the medicine cabinet and given Bell a dose of it while he slept. Contents of the vial were tested on a cat and discovered to be highly poisonous. John Bell died on December 20. “Kate” was quiet until after the funeral. After the grave was filled, the witch began singing loudly and joyously. This continued until all friends and family left the grave site.

The Bell Witch left the Bell household in 1821, saying that she would return in seven years time. She made good on her promise and “appeared” at the home of John Bell, Jr. where it is said, she left him with prophecies of future events, including the Civil War, and World Wars I and II. The ghost said it would reappear 107 years later – in 1935 – but if she did, no one in Adams came forward as a witness to it.

Some claim that the spirit still haunts the area. On the property once owned by the Bells is a cave, which has since become known as The Bell Witch Cave, and many locals claim to have seen strange apparitions at the cave and at other spots on the property.

As it’s told today, most of the story behind the Bell Witch comes from a book written by Martin Van Buren Ingram more than 70 years after the alleged incidents took place. The book was called “An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch,” but, unfortunately for fans of the supernatural, no one else has been able to authenticate what Ingram wrote.

Another thing that makes this particular yarn so chilling is that you can visit the rural Tennessee location where it all (allegedly) took place.  The property that John Bell once owned has been turned into a tourist attraction. There’s a cave on the property that is said to be especially haunted. Tours are offered during the summer and also in the fall, from Labor Day through Halloween. They include a hike into the cave and a chance to walk through a replica of the cabin that Bell and his family called home.

A few rational explanations of The Bell Witch phenomena have been offered over the years. The haunting, they say, was a hoax perpetrated by Richard Powell, the schoolteacher of Betsy Bell and Joshua Gardner, with whom Betsy was in love. It seems Powell was deeply in love with the young Betsy and would do anything to destroy her relationship with Gardner. Through a variety of pranks, tricks, and with the help of several accomplices, it is theorized that Powell created all of the “effects” of the ghost to scare Gardner away.

Indeed, Gardner was the target of much of the witch’s violent taunting, and he eventually did break up with Betsy and left the area. It has never been satisfactorily explained how Powell achieved all these remarkable effects, including paralyzing Andrew Jackson’s wagon. But he did come out the winner. He married Betsy Bell.

While most people will enjoy the spooky thrill of seeing the places where this famous story supposedly took place, if not everyone in the family likes the idea of getting scared, there are other options. The people who run the Bell tours also have canoes and kayaks for rent. Visitors can paddle down an especially scenic section of the Red River near Adams and get picked up by a shuttle bus that returns them to Bell’s.

Bell’s Cave is a fun destination for those who want to get into the Halloween spirit, and it’s a bonus that the site is located in a beautiful part of the state filled with natural attractions.

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Published by pat frederick

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91 thoughts on “Spooky Haunts: A Haunting in Tennessee”

    1. Good morning! I think stories like this say much about the mindset of the people involved. But, then, I don’t believe in witches or spirits so…..only got down into the 50’s last night but they are calling for night-time temps below 30 for the next couple of nights. Many of the leaves have turned now – seems like it all happened in just a week or so. Got to be sure to disconnect my hoses outside today. Looks like some rain today, as well, with the wind now out of the NW.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. I think the Salem witch hysteria was caused by ergot. EXCERPT: “This is one of the few plant diseases that can also cause direct damage to humans. Ergotism is characterized by a host of symptoms, depending on the specific chemicals involved. Some of the more common symptoms include tremors, delusions, prickling sensations on skin, convulsing seizures, hallucinations, and violent muscle spasms.

          The plant disease is favored by severely cold winters followed by a cool, wet growing season, and historically has occurred more commonly in areas highly dependent on rye for sustenance. Although all cereal crops are vulnerable, rye is more susceptible than other cereals due to flowers being open-pollinated and staying open longer, thus remaining exposed for longer periods of time.”
          —————
          “Ergot has been known for millennia, but was not recognized as causing health issues until about 200 years ago. For example, an Assyrian tablet dating to 600 BC mentions “noxious pustules” on grain seeds.

          Documented epidemics of ergotism occurred frequently in the Middle Ages (500-1500), now known to be caused by eating ergot-contaminated rye bread, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. It was most common in those colder, damp areas of Europe that were highly dependent on rye as a food source. This region extended through central and eastern Europe — the chief rye-growing areas. It was rare in the United Kingdom, where rye is not consumed as much and the climate is less favorable for ergot development.”

          https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2017/has-ergot-altered-events-world-history

          Liked by 1 person

        1. Got to Sally’s safely around noon yesterday, moved in the Lodge, brought her food in, then the wheelchair guy came. He brought back her old favorite chair that he’d repaired, moved a controller from one that had a bad cable, and took the one we had here that had a broken tilt motor, to fix at his shop.

          All that means that she’s got two working power chairs again.

          We decided to keep all three chairs, and when the other one is repaired and brought back, we will store it in an empty office and keep it charged. This is because she has to have two working wheelchairs at all times. And because with her coordination problems, she runs into things and breaks the chairs and because the chairs all have the same interchangeable parts so when he comes again, he can usually piece together two working chairs. When all three are on site and fixed, she’ll have one in reserve, just in case. They are all older chairs – but she’s familiar with them and is comfortable.

          For supper, I made Louisiana Red Beans and Rice, a side of Okra and Tomatoes, both made with red and green peppers, garlic and onions, and fried up some South Georgia smoked sausage. It’s one of our favorite comfort meals.

          Man – I was tired when I got to bed last night!

          Next job, I’ve got to rig up a safety sling and a padded non-slip liner for the lift arms and a belt to hold her in the chest part of the lift to prevent falls from the ceiling track lift. I posted a drawing of what I’m making last week. It’s complicated to explain – but here is the type of lift she has – http://www.surehands.com It has a motor that moves her in the lift frame from chair to chair, chair to toilet, etc.

          I’ll be here for a week.

          Hope you have a super good day!

          Liked by 1 person

          1. you as well!
            i hope you can update me at some point about the slings–i’m interested to see how your ideas pan out!
            I have a dear friend coming today and leaving tomorrow, but i will try to get on to see some comments when i can…

            Like

    1. Shades of the Wollman Rink in NYC – !

      My Governor DeSantis gets things done, solves problems – takes it to the enemy – just like a certain VSG we know and love!!!

      Liked by 2 people

    1. found this…but it’s really not much. and don’t these dem idiots realize we ALREADY have a pathway to citizenship for immigrants..allowing children of illegals to become citizens is NOT the pathway set forth in LAW
      FTA
      A federal appeals court today declared DACA illegal but left the policy intact for the 600,000 immigrants already enrolled.

      The case is now set to go back to U.S. Judge Andrew Hanen for a final ruling.

      Current DACA recipients can continue to apply for renewals but the ruling deals a blow to the Obama-era program as a whole.

      Democrats in the House sounded off following the ruling.

      U.S. Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA) declared in a tweet, ”This decision provides temporary relief to DACA recipients.”

      “We need a pathway to citizenship for the millions of immigrants who call our country home”

      “It’s high time the Senate pass the Dream and Promise Act.”

      https://mediarightnews.com/appeals-court-deals-blow-to-daca-program-by-declaring-it-illegal-but-leaves-policy-intact-for-nearly-600000-dreamers/

      Liked by 1 person

  8. another theory about the lack of visitor logs at ultra maggot’s home in delaware
    FTA
    This gets me to my suspicion about one other class of person that is waved in without the necessity for a security check: Biden’s doctors. My suspicion is that Joe isn’t getting visitors from Kazakhstan or Beijing. I’ve long believed that Biden’s frequent trips to Delaware are to get medical treatment to hold him together for as long as possible. The administration, however, cannot afford to have it known that Biden requires regular contact with his doctors to maintain his minimal level of mental functioning.

    If these hypothetical doctors are real and are Delaware regulars, the Secret Service is just going to wave them in, with no record-keeping required. And that’s why Faran Paramore can claim with a straight face that, despite the President of the United States spending almost half his time in his Delaware homes, there are no records showing any visitors.

    Assuming my theory is correct, the truth is as bad as, if not worse than, a lie: Biden is no longer busy selling out his country. Instead, he’s sitting in the Oval Office, signing documents, making policies (including policies about the war in Ukraine or oil from Saudi Arabia), while held together by nothing more than glue, spit, and some completely under-the-radar medical intervention. I won’t name names, but there have been political leaders in the past who were on heinous medical concoctions that could well have affected their decision-making capacities in dangerous and even deadly ways for their countries and the world at large.

    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/10/heres_how_the_secret_service_could_be_telling_the_truth_about_bidens_visitor_logs.html

    Liked by 1 person

        1. good thing it’s now…she sent an email at 6:15 and said she was going to get on the road and i can expect her any time…
          she’s like kea…she knows her “garbage” and stops on a dime if she sees something worthwhile…and she does BRAKE for yard sales

          Liked by 1 person

    1. About the Q music on PDJT’s new rallies songlist – and the song he plays at the end of his speech – same title as the motto – WWG1WGA

      WWG1WGA By Richard Feelgood — As President Trump brought his speech to a climax tonight in Wilkes Barre, he had this quietly — as in QQQuietly — playing in the background.
      https://vk.com/video623117356_456240461
      It’s by Richard Feelgood and the title is WWG1WGA
      Donald Trump is the ultimate troll.
      https://billlawrenceonline.com/wwg1wga-by-richard-feelgood/
      —
      Richard Feelgood

      Liked by 1 person

          1. Oh, yeah – I wear them all summer and inside during the winter with slipper socks. They are like tire rubber made by Duck Boots. They don’t sell them any more that I’ve been able to find. Mandy gave me 2 pairs – my black ones I still have and a red pair that I gave to HB. I expect SIL gave those away.

            Liked by 1 person

  17. It’s interesting to watch the different trees and plants change color – the timing of it between different trees…..the cottonwood started changing first, then it was the ash trees, then the maple (that took the shortest time from start-to-almost complete). The Chinese elm is just starting to turn and the weeping willow tree hasn’t started. The honeysuckle is interesting, too – the leaves on one have started yellowing with berries still on the vine, while 2 of the others still have blooms on them as well as red berries. Just saw the big gray/white cat chasing a rabbit out of the Weigela bushes, then spraying them. I chased his ass off!!! He is not the least bit friendly!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. we didn’t seem to getting much color this year–but leaving we already dying from lack of rain–then we got those days of rain and BOOM! we’ve got some vivid reds (from the maples) and oranges from the oaks…the aspens turn yellow but they are the last every year to change

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Turley writes about the appeals court finding that daca is unlawful…
    entire article
    For years, I have written that I considered President Barack Obama’s action to create Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to be unlawful. The move was part of an open effort to circumvent Congress when it failed to yield to the demands of President Obama and dispensed with obligations under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Now the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has upheld a lower court in ruling against DACA.

    Writing for a unanimous three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit (with U.S. Circuit Judges James Ho and Kurt Engelhardt), Chief Judge Priscilla Richman found that President Obama did indeed circumvent Congress and evaded the limits imposed in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it enacted DACA in 2012. The court declared:

    “Under the first factor, DACA’s deficiencies are severe. The district court’s excellent opinion correctly identified fundamental substantive defects in the program. The DACA Memorandum contradicts significant portions of the INA. There is no possibility that DHS could obviate these conflicts on remand.”

    The court, however, did not change the status of the roughly 600,000 people from 150 countries enrolled under DACA. It sent the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.

    The Biden Administration fought to block any judicial review by challenging the standing of Texas to bring the action. However, it did little to refute the claims of injury raised by the state, including an expert who estimated that DACA recipients overall impose a cost of more than $250,000,000 on Texas per year and another $533,000,000 annually in costs to local Texas communities.

    In addition, the court noted that:

    “Texas contends that the rescission of DACA would cause some recipients to leave, thereby reducing the financial burdens on the State. It cites a survey of over three thousand DACA recipients in which twenty-two percent of respondents said they were likely or very likely to leave the country if DACA ended.130 The Government presents evidence that many recipients would remain without DACA, but that does not controvert Texas’s showing that some would leave.”

    The Fifth Circuit also rejected the common claim that this is nothing more than the exercise of prosecutorial discretion not to prosecute cases:

    “As our court held in DAPA, “‘[a]lthough prosecutorial discretion is broad, it is not “unfettered.”’ Declining to prosecute does not transform presence deemed unlawful by Congress into lawful presence and confer eligibility for otherwise unavailable benefits based on that change.”

    Even if the INA were ambiguous, DACA would fail at step two because it is an unreasonable interpretation of the INA. Like DAPA, DACA “undoubtedly implicates ‘question[s] of deep “economic and political significance” that [are] central to this statutory scheme; had Congress wished to assign that decision to an agency, it surely would have done so expressly.’”

    There is no “clear congressional authorization” for the power that DHS claims.”

    U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen will now get the case back. He previously decided that the Department of Homeland Security had implemented DACA in violation of the APA.

    In response, the Biden administration has developed a new DACA rule and published it on the Federal Register to satisfy the public notice-and-comment process. The new rule is scheduled to become active on Oct. 31.

    The case could ultimately find its way to the Supreme Court but such a move could only magnify the bad precedent already created in the case for the Administration.

    https://jonathanturley.org/2022/10/06/dacas-deficiencies-are-severe-federal-appellate-court-rules-against-daca/

    Liked by 1 person

    2. I feel some sympathy for those who were, indeed, brought here as a young child who have lived most of their lives here. HOWEVER…..if they really wanted to be US citizens, there were ample opportunities for them to do what is required by our laws. There were a number of those under the umbrella of “DACA” who would, indeed, be outstanding US citizens – but they PROVED it by doing for themselves and not living off of the backs of the taxpayer. They applied themselves, went to school, worked, PROVED they deserve to be US citizens. For people like that? Yes, it should be somewhat easier, IMO, but certainly not a complete free pass.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. i look at it differently. say your parents embezzled millions and bought a great house and sent you to a fancy school. and then they were found out. should the fancy school allow you to continue going there using stolen money? should taxpayers have to provide that “rich kid” with a lifestyle he was used to but not ENTITLED to?
        people should not get to benefit from an illegal act.

        Like

        1. For me, there’s a fine line and it’s just not quite that simple. Considering how f’ed up the entire judicial system is and how much it costs to hire a lawyer, we all know there are cases where people do every single thing right and still get screwed – happens to current citizens every fricking day! I listened to interviews of some of them who would truly be outstanding citizens – indeed, they were even MORE dedicated to our country that many “regular” citizens. Not to mention much more knowledgeable!

          Like

  19. Entire Article @ Trending Politics (the original article requires payment):

    “FBI whistleblowers have come forward with numerous examples of how the radicalized law enforcement arm of the Democratic Party has been rewarding ‘Woke’ agents with perks and gifts after they demonstrate their loyalty to the bureau’s left-wing agenda. The Washington Times’ Kerry Picket this week blew the cover off the FBI’s unethical influencing of agents to subscribe to the radical left’s agenda.

    “In one high-profile example, an FBI agent on duty demonstrated solidarity with Black Lives Matter marchers in Washington by ‘taking a knee’ as the protesters passed,” Picket writes. “The agent was rewarded with a promotion to a supervisor rank.”

    “The BLM march in Washington in 2020 was part of protests and riots that swept the country in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis,” she recounts. “Some law enforcement officers began kneeling with BLM protesters in Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles; Coral Gables, Florida; Buffalo, New York; and elsewhere.”

    Picket discusses an incident when on-duty agents in FBI gear “took a knee” for BLM protesters in Washington. One female agent, Larissa Knapp, was rewarded with a top post at the Washington field office as a counterterrorism special agent in charge following the kneeling incident. She embraced those agents who chose to kneel for the BLM protest.

    The Times report turns to an FBI whistleblower who witnessed acts of partisan recruitment at the bureau. “FBI whistleblower Kyle Seraphin, who has been suspended from his job at the bureau, said he witnessed Ms. Knapp shower praise on the agents when all the employees gathered in the conference room of the assistant director in charge to discuss ‘presence patrols’,” the report notes. “Ms. Knapp hugged each of the ‘kneeling agents’ for their action at the protest,” Mr. Seraphin said, adding that, “He said he shook his head in disbelief before Ms. Knapp yelled at him.”

    “So she focused her tirade about how ‘they were heroes … saved lives and they did the right thing,” he recalled.” I called [Director Christopher A. Wray] to say how proud I was they de-escalated things [a potentially violent incident]. I don’t want to see anyone looking sideways at them,’” Mr. Seraphin recalled her saying.

    Picket notes that the FBI disputed Ms. Knapp raising her voice. The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA), a private association, told The Times it provided gift cards of “modest value” and personal notes to those agents for “exercising their professional judgment to diffuse a tense situation and avoid violence.”

    “Our efforts in support of these Agents had nothing to do with supporting any group or movement. Outreach like this to Agents is a normal course of action when the FBIAA wants to show support for members, and I wanted to show support for these members after a challenging situation,” FBIAA President Brian O’Hare told The Times in a statement.

    But a former FBI official who spoke on the condition of anonymity backed up the assessment that the agents’ actions were inappropriate. “Some people were like, ‘That’s pretty disgraceful what they did. We’re not supposed to take sides,’” the former official said.

    Interestingly, there were FBI agents on the other side of the partisan divide who were punished simply for showing support for President Trump. After some FBI employees attended President Trump’s ‘Stop the Steal’ rally on Jan. 6, 2021, the bureau punished them by dismissing them from their posts and pulling their security clearances.

    “The entire world has changed in the last year and a half after June 6 [sic, Jan. 6], and news started to come out about FBI employees who simply attended a rally having their clearances pulled,” one former FBI employee said.

    This is how the FBI became a partisan asset of the Democratic Party. It is no longer strictly a ‘law enforcement’ agency, it is an agency for rewarding the party’s allies and punishing Americans who are on its ‘enemies list.’”

    Like

  20. Entire Article @ The Blue State Conservative: “Florida’s incumbent governor Ron DeSantis made a huge, albeit unsurprising, move in the latest polling among likely voters. A new Mason-Dixon poll conducted at the end of September shows the conservative leader pulling away from Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat rival Charlie Crist. CBS reported:

    ‘As the days count down to the November general election, a new poll shows Republican incumbent Ron DeSantis has opened an 11-point lead over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist in the Florida governor’s race.

    Statewide, DeSantis has the support of 52 percent of likely voters, while 41 percent back Crist, according to a Mason-Dixon poll conducted September 26 through September 28. It involved 800 registered voters who all indicated they are likely to vote in the election.

    One percent of those surveyed were split between two other candidates and six percent said they were undecided.’

    Writing on Twitter, Clay Travis said:

    Since the poll was held, DeSantis has also guided Florida through the first week of hurricane recovery and is receiving near-universal plaudits from residents and honest media coverage. He was prepared before the arrival of Ian, constantly communicating with residents and updating them with forecasts, and has deployed a huge team of line workers to restore power. It seems likely his growth would not only be sustained but increased following his superb guidance.

    Even without the hurricane, it seemed unlikely DeSantis would suffer in the polls given his opponent’s nasty campaign. Previously, he declared that those who would vote for him were “toothless hillbillies” and bizarrely claimed he didn’t want those people voting for him at all.

    “Those who support the governor should stay with him and vote for him. I don’t want your vote. If you have that hate in your heart — keep it. I want the vote of the people of Florida who care about our state. Good Democrats, good independents, good Republicans — unify with this ticket.” As with Joe Biden’s dangerous villainization of political rivals, Crist only reveals the anti-human, nasty streak found in the modern Democrat Party. Anyone not brainwashed by corporate media can see him for what he truly is.

    Meanwhile, DeSantis fights for Floridians. He stood up to Disney, he stood up to the overt sexualizaztion of children in public schools, and he has won massive support from people who are fed up with the left’s content push into their lives.

    Considering he barely eked out a victory in 2018, his presumed thrashing of Crist in November will be the ultimate memo to America that we want strong moral leadership and that Americans are largely fed up with disgusting leftist ideology.”

    Like

  22. Holy cow! REALLY long, detailed article but certainly interesting!!! This link was in an article e-mailed from Emerald Robinson (https://emeralddb3.substack.com/p/the-best-stuff-on-substack-october)

    EXCERPT: “At least in the Boswash (the corridor of East Coast establishment power running from Boston to Washington), using January to make public predictions about the year ahead is an ironclad tradition. Usually these predictions end up being completely wrong, because no one here has any idea what they’re talking about. I hope that holds true in my case, because I want to use my mandatory annual forecast to dump a few gallons of cold, contrarian water on what seems to have recently become a fashionable prediction: that the “woke” ideological revolution roiling the West has peaked and will soon be in full blown retreat.

    Consider a handful of examples of this new genre:

    Is Wokeness Almost Over? (Scott McConnell, The American Conservative)
    The fightback against wokeness has begun (Frank Furedi, Spiked)
    Why Wokeness Will Fail (Bret Stephens, New York Times)
    The end of woke is nigh (Peter Franklin, UnHerd)
    Emerging Cracks In The Woke Elite (Andrew Sullivan, Substack)
    Dave Chappelle May Help Tame Wokeness [as part of a “Thermidorian reaction”] (Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal)
    Inflation Might Spell Doom for Wokeness (Lewis M. Andrews, The American Conservative)
    Is this the end of progressive America? (Joel Kotkin, UnHerd)

    While a few of those examples are from earlier in 2021, this theme seems to have really emerged and begun to solidify into a consensus among more centrist types soon after the beginning of November 2021. That was when some conservative American politicians won or almost won a few special elections, in part by riding a popular backlash to Critical Race Theory in schools, and a number of local ballot measures to defund police departments failed around the country. Republicans, feeling especially good about their chances against a flailing Biden, started drooling over a “Red Wave” expected to sweep them back to power in the 2022 midterm elections. And now that private equity executive turned Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin has personally won the culture war’s Battle of Midway, the tide has turned and, aside from the occasional messy beachhead here or there, inevitable victory is now in sight, or something.

    One would think that by now all these anti-woke conservatives and moderate liberals would have learned at least some of the bitter lessons from the last decade about how political power and cultural change actually work, but I guess not. They could have taken note of all the fundamental factors driving this ideological belief system, all of which had to be painstakingly uncovered, layer by layer, even as it swept through every institution. But they have not. (Like, do they even read the pages and pages of erudite Substack anthropology on the topic? No?) They could have recognized by now that this is not a simple political issue with a political solution, but they have not.

    Look, honestly I really didn’t want to have to do this. Come the New Year I had resolved to focus on the positives and all that crap. But I haven’t seen anyone else do it, so guess I have no choice and the duty falls to me to deliver the pessimistic news: no, the Revolution is far from over.

    So, in what might also serve as a handy tour guide to the vast depths of the ideological abyss, catalogued at length here – in convenient listicle format! – are twenty reasons to get woke and despair.”

    https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/no-the-revolution-isnt-over

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  23. EXCERPT: “Even if this is not a Russian plan (i.e., baiting the Ukrainians) the outcome will be the same. Ukraine will have to conduct a frontal assault on the city of Kherson and, in order to do this, will have to mass troops and equipment that will be easy targets for Russian artillery, missiles and bombs. Ukraine has no military power to counter what Russia can unleash. So, if your panties are in a knot over “Russia losing territory”, I suggest you take a nap on the fainting couch and calm down.

    Russia, for its part, is in the process of incorporating the Donetsk and Luhansk militias into Russia command structure. Why? This is essential in order to conduct coordinated maneuver warfare, which is what Russia is expected to unleash once its forces are properly manned and in position.

    Important to remember that all of the military action on the ground in Ukraine will be a sideshow compared to the economic warfare that will wrack Europe. The United States and Europe got a big bucket of cold water poured over their heads today with OPEC+’s announcement that they will cut production by two million barrels of oil. No matter how much lipstick Biden and Blinken try to put on this pig, OPEC+’s message to the west is clear–fuck off! If foreigners really believed that Russia was getting its ass handed to it, do you think the OPEC nations would stick their neck out and adopt a policy that helps Russia? I don’t.”

    https://sonar21.com/more-military-and-economic-considerations-in-ukraine/

    Like

  24. The Bee:

    “America’s national debt just passed $31 trillion for the first time in history. Yikes! Don’t worry though, we at The Babylon Bee have a few brilliant money-raising ideas up our sleeves that Congress probably hasn’t heard of yet. You’re welcome, America!

    1. Burn down the Lincoln Memorial for the insurance money: A foolproof plan.

    2. Sell the moon to China for $31 trillion: Maybe throw in California for good measure. Nobody will miss it!

    3. Two words: BAKE SALE! If we sell around 10 trillion brownies, we’ll have that debt licked in no time! And we hear Ted Cruz makes a mean brownie.

    4. Get Russia to invade us and watch the aid money roll in: The surest way to untold riches!

    5. Ask every American to sell just one kidney: True patriots will sell both!

    6. Have Nancy Pelosi skip Starbucks and make her own coffee at home for the next 31 trillion days: We assume she’ll continue to live at least that long.

    7. Take out a reverse mortgage on Alaska: Most countries do this sort of thing toward the end of their lives.

    8. Make the FBI raise extra cash by delivering pizza on their way to raid Trump supporters: Those armored assault trucks are great at keeping pizza really hot.

    9. Have Biden ask Hunter to ask his Chinese employers to forgive the debt: Pretty please?

    10. Have Janet Yellen marry Tom Brady and then divorce him to take half his money: Come on Tom, take one for the team!

    11. Print 31 trillion more dollars: Wait — isn’t this what we’re already doing?

    12. Stop spending more money than we have: No wait, that would be crazy. Never mind.

    If you know someone in Congress, be sure to share these genius tips with them! We’ve GOT this, folks!
    ———————-

    FORT MYERS, FL — With hurricane deaths reaching pandemic levels, Pfizer has announced emergency FDA approval of their new, untested hurricane vaccine, Hurriprofitol®.

    “It looks like we get to save humanity again, for a small fee,” said Pfizer CEO, Brandolph Cashsniffer in a press release printed on diamond-infused gold vellum. “Hurriprofitol® has come at a vital time for the world when millions are dying from hurricanes, hurricane-related illnesses, hurricane-associated diseases, Sudden Hurricane Death Syndrome, hurricane-adjacent strokes, and hurricane gout.”

    Following the announcement, California governor Gavin Newsom mandated that all residents get the Hurriprofitol® jab if they wanted to leave their homes. Other liberal governors in non-hurricane states quickly followed suit, citing reports from The Science.

    “Hey, whaddaya know, a chance to be on TV, how ’bout that?” said The Science, Dr. Anthony Fauci in a presser organized by Dr. Anthony Fauci. “I’d like to remind all my fans out there that I’ve always said the hurricane pandemic is a pandemic of the hurricane unvaccinated. Ooh, booster time!”

    At publishing time, stalwart conservative lawmakers took a principled stance against hurricane vaccine mandates while simultaneously cashing out millions of dollars in Pfizer stocks.

    Like

  25. Oh, wow! I’m watching an episode of Highway to Heaven and the young actor who played Albert on Little House is in it! This is the only other show I’ve ever seen him in.

    Like

  28. Good Day!

    Hope y’all are well and having a great Thursday …

    Gonna sit a while … and have s cup of tea …

    care to join me?

    Liked by 1 person

  29. “the cotton puffs of fantasy clouds” from a poem I wrote as a teenager…oh for those days lazing in the meadow near my family’s hunting shack & turning the sky into a story!

    This beauty is from Gab:

    https://media.gab.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=700,quality=100,fit=scale-down/system/media_attachments/files/117/360/528/original/9828814c9c7ab808.webp

    https://gab.com/Redneck_Publius/posts/109121401003524478

    Hopefully my husband will get away to the hunting camp this weekend as it’s Whitetail Bow Hunting Season in Michigan…now til the end of the year. Boy does he need that respite from downstate headaches!!!

    I wonder if the image will show this way?

    https://media.gab.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=700,quality=100,fit=scale-down/system/media_attachments/files/117/360/528/original/9828814c9c7ab808.webp

    It’s weird, for Gab images usually show without a problem…sigh…

    There is Supposed to be a beautiful cloud formation that looks like an angel. If anyone knows how to get it to show, you can see it at the gab link, that would be Awesome!

    Like

        1. Ok, you can see it here:

          https://www.theqtree.com/2022/10/06/dear-maga-open-thread-20221006/#comment-972608

          ART THERAPY–Watercolor #1 is Finished!

          https://gab.com/ValerieCurren/posts/109123280391550421

          Sorry for the extra work. I just Wanted to drop a refreshing image while I’ve got functional computer access…sigh. Using the tablet at home is a Huge Pain & hard to do fun stuff on.

          Hope all’s well around here. We’re hanging in there after Lots of upheaval surrounding my hubby’s job (it’s Fairly stable now, for a couple more months at least), & my disabled son’s issues related to insurance & SSI, still pending & somewhat problematic…sigh.

          Hubby is supposed to head out of town hunting for the weekend & I’d Usually get lots of computer “work” aka play done but that’s not really possible in our current situation unless I’m on the library computers, like right now, but that’s Way more of a pain than access from home!

          Love & blessings to All!

          Liked by 1 person

    1. “What happens next?

      Re-elected in 2020, Sasse’s term is up in 2026. Should he resign as expected, his replacement would be appointed by the governor of Nebraska, per state statute. Depending on the timing of his official announcement, that could come from Gov. Pete Ricketts or from whomever wins the state’s gubernatorial election in November.

      The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office said that while there isn’t a time limit on the decision, a 50-50 split in the Senate creates a sense of urgency. The appointee would serve for two years, until the 2024 election, the SOS office said. There’s also nothing in the statute that would prevent Ricketts, whose term as governor ends in January, from appointing himself.

      Secretary of State Bob Evnen issued a statement on the matter:

      “We have received many questions about how the U.S. Senate seat held by Senator Ben Sasse would be filled if he resigns from the Senate. Based upon news reports about when the vacancy is likely to occur, it appears that Section 32-565(3) of the Nebraska Revised Statutes would apply to the filling of the vacancy.

      “Within 45 days of a vacancy arising, the Governor would appoint a qualified Nebraskan to fill the vacancy. That person would serve until January 2025. An election would be held in 2024 to fill the seat for the remaining two years of the term. The person appointed by the Governor to fill the seat would be eligible to run at that time.

      “An election for the regular six-year term of the seat would be held in 2026.”

      https://www.1011now.com/2022/10/06/report-nebraska-sen-ben-sasse-resigning/

      Like

  37. H/T Marica

    Donald J Trump

    Great news for the United States Senate, and our Country itself. Liddle’ Ben Sasse, the lightweight Senator from the great State of Nebraska, will be resigning. If he knew he was going to resign so early in his term, why did he run in the first place? But it’s still great news! The University of Florida will soon regret their decision to hire him as their President.

    We have enough weak and ineffective RINOs in our midst. I look forward to working with the terrific Republican Party of Nebraska to get a REAL Senator to represent the incredible People of that State, not another Fake RINO!

    Like

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