NYC video 'portal' to Ireland paused after 'global interconnectedness' turns sour



A globalist art initiative attempting to bridge peoples and cultures with 24/7 real-time public video installations has come up against the obstacle that usually trips up utopians: human nature.

Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys' latest Portals installation connected passersby in Manhattan's Flatiron District with Dublin's O'Connell Street some 3,000 miles away. It went live last week and was supposed to run until fall 2024.

'Portals are an invitation to meet fellow humans above borders and prejudices and to experience our home – planet Earth – as it really is: united and one.'

The Portals project was, however, paused just over a week into its intended multi-month run because of nasty behavior on both sides of the screen.

Who thought this portal from NYC to Dublin was a good idea
— (@)

The dream

Gylys, the founder of Portals, claims on his website that the inspiration for this project was a "mystical experience" in 2016.

"Finally surrendering and sincerely admitting that I do not know anything about reality led me to a mystical experience where I felt oneness with all life on Earth for two weeks," he wrote. "After this experience I started seeing our world with different eyes and the default worldview which kept forcing me to see our planet through a lens full of narratives and filters became unbearable. I felt a deep need to counter polarising ideas and to communicate that the only way for us to continue our journey on this beautiful spaceship called Earth is together."

Gylys worked with a team from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University to realize his apparent dream of real-time teleconferencing, which has been around in New York City since at least 1927. Together, they built the first two glorified Skype screens in Lithuania, which went live in May 2021, connecting Vilnius with the Polish city of Lublin.

According to the website, "Portals are an invitation to meet fellow humans above borders and prejudices and to experience our home – planet Earth – as it really is: united and one."

The promise

Gylys managed to convince New York City and Dublin to take part in his globalist art project.

'Embrace the beauty of global interconnectedness.'

The NYC Portal, presented by the Flatiron NoMad Partnership in collaboration with the Simons Foundation and the NYC Department of Transportation Art Program, was installed at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street beside the Flatiron Building.

Dublin City Council unveiled its circular teleconference screen near the city's Spire structure as part of Dublin's designation as the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2024.

When they went live on May 8, James Mettham, president of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership, said in a press release, "This real-time connection between two iconic public spaces in global cities on either side of the Atlantic will bring people together, both physically and digitally, becoming a captivating attraction for New Yorkers and visitors alike."

"It is a delight to celebrate the opening of this captivating installation and see two vibrant global cities connected in real time," said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

Gylys suggested, "The livestream provides a window between distant locations, allowing people to meet outside of their social circles and cultures, transcend geographical boundaries, and embrace the beauty of global interconnectedness."

Dublin Mayor Daithi de Roiste stated, "The Portals project embodies this, bringing together technology, engineering, and art to bring communities from across the world closer together and to allow people to meet and connect outside of their social circles and cultures."

The result

While most people gawked at fellow pedestrians staring back thousands of miles away, less savory characters seized upon the opportunity to hold up phones playing pornography, share offensive memes, and make rude gestures.

The New York Post reported that some troublemakers in Dublin recently flashed swastikas as well as a photo of the Twin Towers engulfed in flame on Sept. 11, 2001.

Hateful images were not the only things being flashed.

An OnlyFans pornographer exposed her breasts to Dubliners Sunday, prompting Portal organizers on both sides of the Atlantic to take action and temporarily shut down the exhibit.

Whereas the pornographer claimed on Instagram that she was responsible for the sudden end to "global interconnectedness," the Portals Organization reportedly blamed the interruption on a "technical glitch."

The Portals Organization said in a statement obtained by the Irish Independent, "Our technical team is looking into the cause to improve the stability of the livestream moving forward."

"The nature of the project, providing a 24/7 livestream, is such that sometimes interruptions will occur due to technical glitches, maintenance or simple software updates," continued the statement. "Our teams (portals.org and AVSPL) are doing their best to ensure smooth and consistent operations in order to come as close as possible to a 24/7 active livestream."

The Dublin City Council indicated Monday that the exhibit will undergo a number of changes on account of multiple incidents of "inappropriate behavior" from the Irish side.

"Unfortunately, we have also been witnessing a very small minority of people engaged in inappropriate behaviour, which has been amplified through social media," stated the council. "While we cannot control all of these actions, we are implementing some technical solutions to address this and these will go live in the next 24 hours."

The screens were reportedly streaming again Tuesday during the day, but shut off at night, reported the Associated Press.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Navy torpedoes embarrassing post showing commanding officer firing rifle with backward and covered scope



The U.S. Navy shared an image to its official Instagram page Tuesday showing Commander Cameron Yaste, executive officer aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain, firing a rifle.

The post was captioned, "From engaging in practice gun shoots, conducting maintenance, testing fuel purity and participating in sea and anchor details, the #USNavy is always ready to serve and protect."

Keen observers noticed something amiss about the photograph taken on March 24.

Some critics suggested the fore grip on the rifle could be mounted closer to the gun's center. A few had something to say about Yaste's stance or his ostensible choice to shoot on three-round burst. Most, however, noted that the scope on the rifle was backward, with its cap still on.

Mockery and memes swiftly followed, prompting the Navy to torpedo its post.

Keyboard comedians came out of the woodwork, creating a slew of memes. Other branches also joined in the fun, sharing images of service members firing rifles with properly mounted scopes.

The National Guard, for instance, posted an image Thursday of two guardsmen firing rifles with no comment besides a side-eyes emoji.

The U.S. Marine Corps did likewise, sharing an image of Marines assigned to Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducting a live-fire deck shoot aboard the U.S. Navy's USS Boxer on April 6. The Marines' post was captioned, "Clear Sight Picture."

The military comedy Instagram page, dearmomimdead, responded to the U.S. Navy's initial post with its own, captioned "HEY NAVY. I FIXED UR SH!T...," which was less charitable than the posts shared by the USMC and the National Guard.

While Task and Purpose made expressly clear that the U.S. Navy "is without equal on the open seas" and has no problem obliterating America's foes when playing to its strengths, it quipped, "If an engagement calls for rifles, Marines will be there to help them out." Task and Purpose then provided a visual indication on Instagram of how the scope ought to have been mounted.

Even lawmakers got in on the mockery.

Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) shared an image of a gun with the barrel pointed toward the would-be shooter, writing, "Navy's newly issued sidearm."

Navy's newly issued sidearm.
— (@)

While many evidently found the bungled photo op amusing, others interpreted the error as bad omen, with at least one user noting, "We're going to lose a major war."

An archived gallery of now-deleted images on the Department of Defense's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service shows that Yaste posed with the rifle on at least two other occasions with correction.

After deleting the post, the Navy noted, "Thank you for pointing out our rifle scope error in the previous post. Picture has been removed until EMI [extra military instruction] is completed! #Readiness."

Stars and Stripes noted that EMI is defined by the Nay as "instruction in a phase of military duty in which an individual is deficient, and is intended for and directed towards the correction of that deficiency."

Commander Yaste previously served as division officer aboard the USS Bataan, as weapons and executive officer aboard Patrol Coastal crew HOTEL, and as combat systems and weapons officer aboard the USS Hopper.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Kamala Harris cluelessly claps along to Puerto Rican song protesting her visit



Kamala Harris visited Puerto Rico for the first time as vice president Friday in an apparent effort to drum up support among Hispanic voters — even though Puerto Rican residents cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections.

While making her way around the territory's capital of San Juan, Harris seized upon an opportunity to embarrass herself.

Video shows Harris, 59, standing in a courtyard near La Goyco Workshop Community and Cultural Center, clapping along and smiling as a group of locals drum and sing in Spanish. Unbeknownst to the Democrat, these locals were protesting her visit.

Harris grins and claps through several lines of the protest song, but then Mariana Reyes Angleró, executive director at La Goyco, appears to lean in and tell the vice president the meaning of the lyrics. The mood immediately changes.

Frankie Miranda, the president of the Hispanic Federation standing on Harris' left, scowls. Harris stops clapping altogether but nods to the beat with pursed lips.

— (@)
— (@)

According to one translation, the lyrics were, "The vice president arrived making history / We want to know what do you think of the colony? / We will continue playing the full song of my country / Long live free Palestine and also Haiti!"

The Associated Press reported that one protester yelled, "Yankee, go home!"

Protesters held signs that said, "Kamala Harris war criminal" and "Free Palestine, Free Puerto Rico."

Joseline Velásquez, a spokeswoman for the radical group Jornada: Se Acabaron Las Promesas, was among the demonstrators who turned out to condemn Harris during her visit over the Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war, reported NBC News.

"It is disrespectful," said Velásquez, who perceived Harris' trip ultimately to be a shakedown for campaign money.

The stated purpose of Harris' visit was to emphasize the Biden administration's "ongoing commitment to supporting the island's recovery and renewal" and to "highlight how Puerto Rico's economic turnaround has begun thanks to more than $140 billion in federal obligations for the island."

The unstated purpose of the trip was to boost Democratic outreach among Hispanics, particularly the over 5 million Puerto Ricans living in the United States who will be able to cast more than a symbolic vote.

CBS News indicated that recent polling shows Harris' running mate has shed a great deal of support among Hispanics since 2020, dropping from 65% to 53%.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

‘Destruction by design’: The elites’ playbook ‘to bring Lady Liberty down’



When you take an honest look at America right now – heightened crime, open borders, mass censorship, corrupt media, declining faith in our election system – you might say we’re living in chaos.

But you’d be wrong.

“What's happening today isn't chaos because the definition of chaos is complete disorder and confusion,” says Glenn Beck. “I think this is very well thought out.”

“The current destruction of America that we are experiencing today is by design” – specifically by elites who are “very smart,” “very evil,” and have a “playbook to bring Lady Liberty down to her knees,” Glenn says.

This all started during President George W. Bush’s term, when he decided to “violate the free market to save the free market.”

“Then Obama took it up the next level; Trump then delayed it – slowed it down [and] actually put us in reverse,” and now the current administration and other powerful elites are “finishing the fundamental transformation of America,” he explains.

The raid of Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s most recent $354 million fraud verdict, the seven federal investigations of Elon Musk, and even YouTube’s demonetization of Glenn are just a few examples of the regime’s plan to “purge anyone that they can use policy to stop.”

And yet, just last week, “Biden's own Justice Department declared that they won't be pursuing charges against the president because he was too mentally incompetent to stand trial,” says Glenn, adding that “too brain-dead to answer questions” means he’s “too brain-dead to run the country.”

But most agree at this point that Biden isn’t actually running the country but is serving as a puppet (and not a very good one) for those who are calling the shots.

Which raises the question: Who is steering the ship?

To find out, watch the video below.


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Military mocked after asking if anyone has seen its missing F-35 stealth jet valued over $78 million



A U.S. military base is asking nearby residents to give them a ring if they happen to find the Marine Corps' missing F-35B Lightning II.

Officials' apparent inability to track down the stealth aircraft has resulted in some lampoonery online, ranging from posting photoshopped camping selfies with the F-35B to invoking the ages-old rule of "finders keepers."

The missing jet, one of 353 belonging to the USMC and priced at over $78 million, was "involved in a mishap" on Sunday afternoon, according to Joint Base Charleston.

While the pilot thankfully managed to eject and is now in stable condition, it's unclear where his jet from the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing ended up.

"Based on the jet's last known position and in coordination with the FAA, we are focusing our attention north of JB Charleston, around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion," JBC indicated in a statement on X.

The search has so far been focused on Lake Moultrie, which spans 60,000 acres and has a maximum depth of 75.47 feet.

Jeremy Huggins, a spokesman at JBC, told the Washington Post the jet's transponder was not working "for some reason that we haven't yet determined," hence the public request for help.

"The aircraft is stealth, so it has different coatings and different designs that make it more difficult than a normal aircraft to detect," added Huggins.

Newsweek reported that the jet could travel for hundreds of miles on autopilot, meaning Americans farther afield might similarly play a role in its location.

The Air Force, which is helping the Marine Corps find the runaway vessel, defines a "mishap" as "an unplanned event or series of events that results in damage to DoD property; occupational illness to DoD personnel; injury to on or off-duty DoD military personnel; injury to on-duty DoD civilian personnel; or damage to public or private property, or injury or illness to non-DoD personnel, caused by DoD activities."

This particular mishap would likely fall under the category of a Class A Mishap, as the aircraft is no doubt destroyed, costing well over the minimum $2,500,000.

An F-35B Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter also crashed in Texas last December. The pilot safely bailed out in that instance as well, reported USNI News.

— (@)

In response to JBC's request for help finding the missing aircraft, one user wrote, "Finders keepers."

Another user tweeted, "Gray with white spots, approx. 24,000 pounds, answers to the name 'Stealthy.'"

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) tweeted, "What are the F-35's pronouns?"

"Dude, Where's My F-35?" read one meme, referencing the 2000 Ashton Kutcher film "Dude, Where's My Car?" about a pair of irresponsible wastoids who lose track of their vehicle after a night of debauchery.

— (@)

Another user posted a "Where's Waldo?" scene incorporating the downed vessel.

A satirical Facebook Marketplace advertisement for a "Gently used F-35 Fighter" also made its way to X.

JBC has invited anyone who might have seen a smoldering multimillion-dollar wreck north of Charleston to call 843-963-3600.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Duo laugh to high heaven after they see the hole they dug reported on Irish TV as the 'aftermath of a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event'



An "astronomy enthusiast" encountered a mysterious hole on Portmarnock Beach in County Dublin, Ireland, earlier this week. Notwithstanding the countless footprints along the shoreline and various other signs of human activity, Dave Kennedy figured it for the work of a meteor strike.

Ireland's national independent news service soon reported on the seeming scientific discovery, leaving experts debating over the hole's celestial origins and the two men responsible laughing to high heaven.

In her report for Virgin Media News, on-screen talent Hannah Murphy said, "It's a huge mysterious crater that looks out of this world."

The reporter indicated that passersby had begun taking selfies with the pit, "many hoping that what they're witnessing is the aftermath of a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event."

One observer told the news station, "Never seen anything like this before. ... It's pretty spectacular."

Kennedy found a rock in the pit he believed was the meteorite responsible. Exhibiting it for the benefit of Murphy's viewers, he noted, "As you can tell by here, there's a scorch mark on this side here, so that would have been at the angle it came down on. And it is weighty. I'm not sure of its composition, but we're definitely going to have to find out."

While Murphy indicated there had not yet been any confirmation that the hole was the site of meteor strike, the astronomy enthusiast appeared sure.

"Only about a month ago I was watching a documentary from NASA on exactly what you're looking at behind you," said Kennedy. "So when I looked at it and saw how uniform it is and the blast crater, I knew immediately I was looking at was an impact site."

— (@)

The forces of nature responsible for the pit turned out to be a pair of Irishmen.

Charlie Wallace, one of the apparent diggers, posted a video to Instagram, which has since gone viral on other platforms, showing him and his friend digging the hole Saturday with the aid of children's plastic spades.

After the video went viral, Virgin Media News provided an update Thursday, revealing that the "once-in-a-lifetime" event had in fact been the aftermath of a beach outing.

Kennedy told the station he was disappointed but would nevertheless go through with getting the beach rock he found in the pit "analyzed in the hopes that it wasn't a completely fruitless discovery."

— (@)

As of 2022, 52% of the Irish indicated they trust the news overall and 65% indicated they trusted Virgin Media News, according to the Reuters Institute.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Video: British thief's 'Indiana Jones-style slide' to get past closing shutters fails. Stuck, he drinks to his misfortune.



On at least two occasions in the "Indiana Jones" franchise, the titular hero narrowly avoids certain death and entombment in accursed subterranean locations by slipping through fast-closing gateways, sure never to lose his iconic fedora in the process.
Confronted with the prospect of idling inside a convenience store until police arrived, a thief in Northeast England risked potential decapitation in a similar fashion last month; however, unlike the fictional Dr. Jones, Malcolm Trimble of Durham City was not nearly as fast as he needed to be.

According to the Durham Constabulary, Trimble, 30, walked into a Durham City store with a large kitchen knife stowed up his sleeve.

Surveillance footage of the incident shows a man wearing a hooded jacket and mask carrying a four-pack of lager over to the counter, then brandishing the knife. Police indicated Trimble threatened the shopkeeper with the blade.

The shopkeeper wasn't about to die over lager, but he also wasn't going to be taken advantage of. He triggered the system to lower the shop's metal roller shutters and raced outside. Once clear of the store, the shopkeeper held the door shut, containing the thief until police could deal with him.

As the heavy metal shutters descended, sealing all portals to the outside, Trimble struggled against the shopkeeper to open the door. The shopkeeper managed to bar the thief's exit long enough for the shutters to descend to within just a few feet of the ground.

Although Trimble finally got the door open, his escape was anything but assured. He dropped his beer on the threshold, then attempted what police later referred to as an "Indiana Jones-style slide" under the closing shutters. His feet, legs and lower torso made it outside, but the thief's upper half was left behind along with the beer.

The Durham Constabulary noted that while the pinned-down thief attempted to wriggle free, the shopkeeper called police, who promptly rushed to the shop.

In the three minutes it took for officers to arrive on scene, Trimble managed to crack open a cold lager and toast his failure.

Durham Constabulary

Trimble was reportedly sentenced to three years and four months in jail for attempted robbery and possession of a knife.

Detective Sergeant Paul Mawson of Durham Constabulary said, "It wasn’t the most difficult arrest we have ever made. To be honest, it was an open-and-shut case."

Durham shopkeeper traps KNIFEPOINT ROBBER under roller shutter until police arrive | Caught on CCTV youtu.be

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Black-clad wannabe thugs — at least one of them armed — try their hands at ripping off Philly ATM. Despite their earnest kicking and pounding, it's a hilarious fail.



Four black-clad crooks — at least one of whom was armed with a gun — attempted to break into an ATM sitting inside a Philadelphia gas station store early Tuesday morning.

Despite their persistent efforts — kicking and pounding and tugging on the cash-dispensing machine as surveillance video recorded it all — the fearsome foursome eventually gave up and ran back to their getaway vehicles.

What are the details?

The sight of the four masked crooks exiting their two vehicles in front of the 52nd Street Gas Station and running into the store just before 2:30 a.m. gives one the sense that they mean business.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

But business was about to go belly-up for them.

One member of the quartet immediately pulled a gun on the store's clerk as another held the door, presumably in anticipation of a quick heist.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

The only thing that was speedy, however, was the thugs figuring out they weren't up to the task.

The other two fellows rammed their bodies into the ATM, kicked it over and over, and tugged at it with all their might, but they weren't able to come up with what they wanted.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

About 20 seconds later, they were hightailing it out of the store, getting back into their vehicles, and heading off into the night — a hilarious fail.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Philadelphia police asked for the public's help in identifying this crew of amateurs, saying anyone with information can call police at 215-686-8477 or 215-686-3183. Folks also can text tips to PPDTIP (773847) or email them to tips@phillypolice.com. Interested parties also can leave anonymous tips.

Robbery 1501 N 52nd St DC 22 19 061316 youtu.be

Anything else?

Crooks targeting ATMs in the City of Brotherly Love haven't always been successful.

Sure, a gun-toting masked man threatened a worker inside a deli while his accomplice dragged an ATM out of the corner market in the 200 block of West Olney Avenue last month — but another guy lost his life in 2020 while reportedly trying to blast open an ATM by Sidekicks Sports Bar.