Roundup
(1) RIP Jesse Jackson, 84. Here’s an article that goes into the many facets of Jackson’s life: He was a con artist and a “race pimp.” He was an opportunist, a race hustler, and a corporate shakedown expert who enriched … Continue reading →
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RIP Robert Duvall, 95
Duvall was the character actor par excellence. For a while there, it seemed he was in every movie, usually as some sort of tough guy. The list of his works is long, and most people would cite The Godfather as … Continue reading →
Open thread 2/17/2026
President’s Day poetry
[NOTE: Today is Presidents’ Day or Washington’s Birthday – or both – and this is a repeat of a previous post.] I’m not that old, but pedagogical practices in my youth seem absolutely archaic compared to whatever passes for education … Continue reading →
Deregulating climate change policy and the war on cars
Trump deregulates climate change policy: This last week, the Trump administration reversed a 2009, Obama-era finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment, thus effectively ending the federal government’s legal authority to control the pollution that, so the … Continue reading →
Consorting with Epstein
Commenter “Niketas Choniates” makes a valid point: … [T]he Epstein correspondence has shown that our “elites” are morally bankrupt clowns who exploit their connections. They don’t have to be in a pedo ring to be unfit for what they are … Continue reading →
Open thread 2/16/2026
On trying to understand higher-level science
I’ve long tried to understand the upper reaches of scientific thought, often to no avail. Even as a very young child, I tried reading books about cosmology or higher-level physics, and although every now and then I managed to absorb … Continue reading →
Voters now prefer Biden??
I don’t want to be a downer – especially on Valentine’s Day – but what on earth is this about?: Harvard CAPS/Harris (Jan. 28–29): Mark Penn’s polling firm found that 51% of registered voters say Trump is doing a worse … Continue reading →
Update on the SAVE Act in the Senate
Susan Collins of Maine says she supports the bill with its voting security safeguards, bringing the total probable Senate votes up to 50, with Vance able to act as a tie-breaking vote for the act if – and it’s quite … Continue reading →
Happy Funny Valentine’s Day
Four sterling singers. [NOTE: This is a repeat of a previous post.]
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