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.
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.”
While the Smollett case continues to take twists and turns, it's paramount that we acknowledge that for every case such as this, there are thousands of others that are indisputable and leave a lasting impact on the targeted victims and their communities. We must make it clear, over and over again, that the bias-motivated crimes happening every day are unacceptable.
College hate crime hoaxers usually don’t file police reports. If they do, it’s to the campus cops who generally do the first part of their job and discover it’s a hoax, and then do the second part of their job and cover it up. Local cops in campus towns also often shrug and the perps walk away with no charges.
Asylum claims are the latest immigration scam. If migrants want somewhere else to stay, why not stay in Mexico where the language and culture are similar?
In the end, Stafford suggested that even if Smollett were guilty of staging a hoax "hate crime," he still highlighted a greater truth. "Jussie may have created this whole situation to highlight a reality that is happening every day," he said. "Our current administration doesn’t support people like him — that are black and queer."
MacDonald: The Frenzied Search for Racism. Elites bought Jussie Smollett’s story because it confirmed their cherished narrative about a hateful America.
The only hate I see in the US is from the Left. Consumed and blinded by hate.
I didn't know that 
College group recommends 
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Nude Beaches: 
Photo from a reader: Ice castle in Dillon, Colorado, this week 