We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Stéphane Breitwieser robbed nearly 200 museums, amassed a collection of treasures worth more than $1.4 billion, and became perhaps the most prolific art thief in history. And as he reveals to GQ’s Michael Finkel, how Breitwieser managed to do all this is every bit as surprising as why.
A high-trust, traditionally homogenous community with a deep civil society marked by thrift, industriousness, and openness, Minnesota seemed like the ideal place to locate an indigent Somali population now estimated at 100,000.
These august American institutions have been so completely terrorized by something called the transgender rights community that that meekly acquiesce to any form of science denial. In this case, to biological science denial.
There’s little doubt, as many commentators would warn, that Trump’s rise would forever transform the Republican Party. I argued the very same. Yet, in the end, no institution would be changed by Trump’s victory quite like the Democratic Party...
I am a highly motivated Trump voter because the Democrats have motivated me up to my eyeballs. I have never been more motivated in my life, because the Democrats are terrifying me.
(Why he mentions fascists is unclear to me. Maybe he means racists? That was stupid because it is a thoughtful essay. Or is Trump a fascist? A fascist is a socialist.)
The fear in Nancy Pelosi’s eyes is what I’ll always remember about the Ilhan Omar Affair. Nancy Pelosi doesn’t turn away from a fight, but turned away from a fight with Omar. That tells you how serious the situation is.
Ocasio-Cortez also said during her interview that automation could potentially allow for more time to focus on art, inventions, the sciences and “enjoying the world that we live in.”
4:1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,
4:2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.
4:3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread."
4:4 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"
4:5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
4:6 And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.
4:7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."
4:8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"
4:9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
4:10 for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,'
4:11 and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"
4:12 Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
4:13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
It’s significant that Democrats have decided to transform Washington into one giant stage to air the evils of Trump. It will last for months. And if they take the next step and seek to impeach him, the drama will continue for months more.
The obsession with Trump eclipses the Democratic presidential campaign and the party squabble over how far it should lurch to the left. Those things are now lonely islands floating somewhere far from the political center. They’re unattached to Washington, where the fate of Donald Trump is being determined. Their media coverage has already taken a hit. Trump is a mightier attraction than the entire field of candidates for the Democratic nomination.
Pelosi single handedly defeated the Trump administration wish to build a wall on the nation’s Southern border. In so doing, she and her cohorts flashed yet another green light to anyone who wanted to invade the nation and profit from its beneficence. Since they had all voted far more money for a wall when Trump was not president, they were acting like political hacks, not as deliberative legislators. No one much cared. Nancy was superwoman. She had defeated the big, bad Trump.
It is an invasion. Free ticket to entry is "I need asylum." From Mexico? At Town Hall:
Yesterday the Department of Homeland Security released new numbers showing 76,000 illegal aliens crossed the southern border into the United States in February, a significant increase from the 58,000 individuals who crossed in January.
Today Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham is holding a hearing about the problem...
Multi-dimensional problems can’t be reduced to a single variable like CO2 People don’t understand math and physics, they’re being bamboozled CO2 doubled already, temp should be up 4 degrees, per models The models are NOT supported by the data Actual temperature increase has only been half degree Scientists are keeping quiet about climate change model problems Climate change is BS, the data confirming BS is overwhelming Grant money ONLY exists for those who believe and promote the climate change hoax
[T]he most politically intolerant county in America appears to be Suffolk County, Massachusetts, which includes the city of Boston. In this part of the country, nine out of every 10 couples appear to share the same partisan leaning, according to the voter-file data. Eight out of every 10 neighborhoods are politically homogeneous. This means that people in Boston may have fewer "cross-cutting relationships," as researchers put it. It is a very urban county with a relatively high education level. All these things tend to correlate with partisan prejudice.
Many people dislike or disapprove of Trump's personality style, or disapprove of the way he lives and speaks. Or his tendency for hyperbole (to put it kindly).
Scott Adams likes to talk about his idea of personal "talent stacks" which can lead to success in individual life goals. If one's talent stack is not aligned with one's goals, success is possible but much less likely. Scott is not, politically, a Trump fan or voter, but admires his skills - his "talent stack".
Talent stacks of course include more than math talent, or rhetorical talent, or IQ, or musical ability. It includes drive and energy, adventurousness, adaptability, sense of humor, integrity (rare in politicians and criminals), charm, temperament, likability, interpersonal warmth and connectivity, neuroticism or lack thereof, toughness, generosity of spirit or the opposite, etc. etc.
Only one in a million have a single talent on which to build a world-class reputation without a stack (think Glenn Gould). And it's best to focus on one's talent stack instead on one's shortcomings - but those shortcomings sure can mess up your life goals. Reality's a bitch of a grader.
But to get back to my point (that should be a Maggie's trademarked phrase), Trump gave a 2-hour speech at CPAC which sounds like some combination of entertainment, reality/political TV, and hypomanic explosion. Yes, Trump is crude, impulsive, slippery, etc but he has instincts and has been doing his best for the country. At this moment in time, I doubt anybody could do better.
Snow Day! Winter wonderland. Gym uncrowded early this morning, car slippin' and slidin' a bit because no plowing that early. Fun. Got my third weights day done without having to wait for anything. Yes, all the regular morning gals were there.
As creatures of the market, modern voters are consumers first not citizens. They require something in return if a politician wants their vote. Accordingly, election campaigning is frequently marred by thinly disguised vote buying. The consequences of this for fiscal control are evident in budget deficits across the democratic world. Sadly, voters today would stare with either incredulity or confusion if any politician reprised John F. Kennedy’s “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
Wiped out: 
Man Gives Up All Food And Drink For Lent…
I didn't know that 
College group recommends 