[spoken] 
A System-wide call to action
Second  left tenant Drewfil Vaanya – thirty fifth Battalion, Imperial Starlancers.
Cycle 5 8 3 7 Rotation 15 – Written in convalescence after injury on active duty during the action on Waaylan’s Trove, for which the Motherworld’s Cross was awarded.

[instrumental break] 
It is my belief that the prosecution of the conflict, that has in the past eleven cycles, engulfed our solar system, is no longer in the control of those whose duty it is to service the empire’s best interests.
Since the secession of the Fatherworld from the emperor’s dominions, following almost one hundred cycles of colonial rule, the forces of the Motherworld and her aligned planets, moons and asteroid protectorates have retaken much of the territory lost during the early phases of the war.
[instrumental break] 
I have seen, with my own eyes, the horrific suffering endured by fighting men and women on both sides and led units into battles whose objectives have no strategic benefit to the empire or to the ending of the conflict. Moreover, the decisions made and enacted, in many cases seem only to seek to prolong the fighting.
Who or what malevolent force now drives this war, I do not know. But I implore those on both sides with the power and authority to do so, to cease hostilities. To order the laying down of arms so that a peace can be negotiated and the true puppet masters that now reign over our system be exposed and dealt with.
[instrumental break] 
I make this declaration of defiance not out of cowardice, defeatism, apologism, pacifism or any sense of malice toward anyone. But simply in the hope that we can awaken from this nightmare and see the dawn anew.

It has to stop
Stop the madness 
It has to stop


A Call to Action

Seuls sous la lune ... souvenirs tendres ... soupirs secrets ... 💞✨                 
  Alone under the moon... tender memories... secret sighs... 💞✨

Seulement nous deux 💞✨

Please excuse me for coming up with something new so quickly.

Tomorrow marks the 22nd anniversary of the death of French actress Marie Trintignant, who was beaten to death by her boyfriend, Bertrand Cantat, on 26 July 2003.

Some people will have seen the Netflix documentary about the case and will therefore also be familiar with the media and public debate at the time. This was a broad and heated discussion, as if the categorisation of such a brutal killing was a matter of opinion.

After that, one might have gained the impression that those who prioritise conservative values and traditional social and family roles tend to view domestic violence as an interpersonal tragedy rather than an unequivocal act of violence. ‘Arguments happen in even the best families.’ – ‘Doesn't an argument that gets out of hand often come from both sides?’ – ‘Did the victim overstep the mark and provoke an overreaction instead of making a diplomatic concession?’…

22 years have passed since then. In that time, #MeToo has emerged, alongside all kinds of discussions.

A lot of noise. A lot of media. A lot of talking-is-the-new-doing. But nothing has changed, apart from the number of reported cases of domestic violence, which continues to rise to this day. Whether this is because more and more offences are being reported instead of concealed is massively irrelevant:

In Germany, one woman or girl is beaten, abused or victimised by her partner or a male family member every single minute of every 24-hour day. According to official reporting statistics, this only happens every three minutes. What is clear, however, is that someone dies from their injuries almost every day.

The murder of Marie Trintignant is repeated every day.

There are many explanations for this. Psychological, social, political, and personal, to name a few. After all, we are living in an age of digital polyglotism where everyone has an answer to everything. Somehow, what you can explain is easier to accept. So, let’s talk about acceptance.

The number of car thefts registered in Germany each year amounts to around one sixth of the reported cases of domestic violence. The number of domestic burglaries is less than half.

What would happen if the number of domestic burglaries doubled, or if the number of car thefts increased sixfold? There might also be discussions about the thieves' psychological state of emergency or their possible negligence, provocation or shared guilt. But first and foremost, everyone would agree:

'This has to stop! We must stop it by any means necessary! … Zero acceptance!"

Is a stolen car, despite insurance reimbursement, really more painful, shocking and unacceptable than a woman being dragged through her flat by her hair?

---

Lyrics, music and production by ©Hans-Michael Albers. Vocal performance by suno4.5

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn16cxiq-64

Google translation:

I won't let you rest
It's the only reason you're hitting me
To get revenge for all your frustration
You just have to do so

It's not even good for you
But what are you going to do with your anger?
It's all my fault
I'm pushing your patience to the limit

Your pain should be mine
I deserve to feel it
You give it my face
So it can break me instead of you

What nobody sees or hears
It destroys the perfect world
Whenever it bangs
I wanted it that way

Only because of me do you see red
And because of me, you beat me to death
Only because of me do you see red
And because of me, you beat me to death

I would have liked to live
How I felt, how I moved freely.
One last pain, one moment
Then it's over, happy end

Ich hätte gern gelebt

This song is a new one written this year and it's about how we've all become Broken Mirrors in some way. All of us, we were a loving people, not a cruel people, we were a caring people, not a hateful people, we were a hard working and strong people but also a very fragile people and I feel we've become a little bit more shattered in recent years. Our beliefs and hopes have diminished somewhat and this song reflects that broken mirror in us all. It's harder and harder to stay positive in this crazy hateful world today. I sang this one since Charlie was not available. I think the mix was too loud but I'm having problems with my computer and couldn't adjust the sound in my film editor like I usually do. 

VIDEO - https://youtu.be/CUpzZLL-xJc

I worked hard on the video and tried to follow the lyrics as close as possible. It will drop on August 1st on YouTube. It's about our lack of empathy as of late and this constant hatred for other people that I now sense in this great country of ours!.  So I asked myself, how did we get here? When a country starts depriving its citizens of basic needs like healthcare and not helping our senior citizens and ignoring the less fortunate among us and stop assistance for veterans (like me) that risked our lives for this country, then we're on a road to destruction and our government has failed us.  All I can do is write songs, so songs I shall write. I still believe in love, love is always the answer!  Take care & God bless!🙏😎✌🏼

“BROKEN MIRRORS"

WE LIVE INSIDE OUR CASTLES,
WE HIDE BEHIND OUR WALLS,
WARM AND SECURE, NEVER ENDURE,  
HARDSHIPS THAT BEFALL,             
THE CRESTFALLEN AMONG US,
THE ONES THAT WE IGNORE,      

PRETEND THEY DON’T EXIST,
PERHAPS THEY’LL MELT AWAY, 
THEY’LL DISAPPEAR, ALONG WITH FEARS, 
WE MAY BE THEM ONE DAY,
THEY REALLY NEVER MATTERED,
THE WRETCHED WE DEPLORE, 

BROKEN MIRRORS, BROKEN MINDS,
SOMETIMES WE CHOOSE TO BE BLIND,
CONVINCE OURSELVES, WE’RE MILES ABOVE,  
THOSE THAT BEG AND CRAWL,
 BROKEN MIRROR ALWAYS REFLECT, 
 WHAT’S BROKEN IN US ALL,

MAN IS A STRANGE CREATURE,
SO CRUEL BUT YET SO KIND, 
OUR TAPESTRY IS OUR ARTISTRY,
OUR HEART SOMETIMES SUBLIME,    
YET SOME HAVE A DARKER SIDE,
THEY LURK BEHIND SATAN'S DOOR,  

     BROKEN MIRRORS, BROKEN MINDS,
     SOMETIMES WE CHOOSE TO BE BLIND,
     CONVINCE OURSELVES, WE’RE MILES ABOVE,  
     THOSE THAT BEG AND CRAWL,
     BROKEN MIRROR ALWAYS REFLECT, 
     WHAT’S BROKEN IN US ALL.

 BY JIM VALDES © 2025

"BROKEN MIRRORS" (Video - https://youtu.be/CUpzZLL-xJc)

Lyrics:

I was king of the world, walked the land so free
Mountains bowed to me, no danger to see
But I felt the winds change, heard the sky break wide
A fireball’s coming, there’s nowhere to hide

The ground shakes beneath my feet
The air's grown stale, yet bittersweet
And I can see the end, it’s written in flames
Nothing we built will ever remain

I called the comet just a spark
A flicker meant to light the dark
I said that God would let us be
That fire was never meant for me
We crowned the beast and closed one eye
Then dared the world to split the sky
But soon the leopards bare their teeth
And tear the lies from underneath

We carved our thrones from wax and pride
Then struck the sparks we couldn’t hide
Laughed at crows that lined the wires
Mocked the smoke before the fires

The fireball splits the skies
To advertise my lies
are just maggots and flies

Now I see the end 
is written in flames
Nothing we built will ever remain

First came silence, fear and dread
The world shuddered and mourned the dead
Crows took flight with silver cries
To peck the rot and eat the flies

Then came the dawn, with truth ablaze
Children yelled through smoke and haze
Science grew roots, the wise made rain
And broke the world out from my chain

They scrawled my name on walls of shame
Unmasked the lies that fed my name
My echo burned, my shadow banned
No idols left, no thieving hand

I fed the lies until they screamed
I kiss the storm I make-believed
The old wax throne, just melt and bone
Ground to dust by minds full grown

The fireballs coming
I made it so
Truth is not a democratic show
It is a force of nature though
It doesn’t ask
It only shows

Fireball

Smoke & Mirrors

Rob Olsson lyrics bass drums production 
Single Use guitar 

Lyrics:

Sick, lonely, naked, a fool
Accumulated wealth means nothing
Can’t take it where I’m going
All the money won’t feed an empty soul

Sick, lonely, naked, a fool
Recall to mind the place and time
Given opportunity
Sit and wait for the perfect moment
Next thing it’s gone

Safe, happy, fine clothes so cool
Crack the outer shell
Center
Regrets, we’ve all got some
Navigate challenges that come

Accumulated wealth means nothing
All the money won’t feed an empty soul

Sick, Lonely, A Fool

Way overdue for something new but I've been living in exile without the usual, albeit modest, setup I'm used to. So this might be pretty rough. And it's full of the usual horror at political realities and way full of schmaltzy velveeta. 

Guitarist note:  I don't have amps at present and was struggling to find a decent direct sound. There is a *free* VST plugin by Neural Amp DSP and online libraries of tone prints, also free, that came to the rescue. Highly recommended.

it's alright for you as long as it's alright
you don't mind what they do in the broad daylight

it never could be you

but you don't see the way you're blinded
they'll never drag you down to the places meant for those

do you feel the color of your soul
when you live with love suspended hiding in a hole
the moment is yours but you don't believe 
you won't believe what lies there ripening 
growing in your mind without you knowing

now it could be you

and as you feel the weight of the binding
you know they're dragging you down to the places meant for those

to liberate the light of every heart and mind
you can say it never paying any price

there's a little part of everyone that knows 
we're only playing separate lives 
till true faith arrives

if there's every gonna be a change 
let it start right here

you know it could be you

It Could Be You

Electric Horizon

Humperdink Vaporpatch

Cards are flying in the smoky air
Shadows dancing but nobody cares
The table's hot
The stakes are cold
The stories whispered are as good as gold
[Prechorus] Eyes like daggers
Hearts on fire
Who’s the liar
Who’s the buyer
[Chorus] Aces high
Let 'em fly
All or nothing
Do or die
Aces high
Feel the rush
The room goes silent
Then the crush

Aces high .mp3

Sonic scribbler with a hope that someone out there feels what I can’t play but still need to say.

A Call to Action

Hawthorn Grill

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