Hints began appearing as the weekend warmed up.  There is a new definition of “liberal” shaping up, and it is rather ugly.  In the weekly discussion with Ben Domenech last Friday, Domenech brought up the fact that the mess that is health care these days belongs with Democrats (think Obamacare), even if, oddly, Republicans somehow get blamed.  Later in the same interview the host described the DNC’s “autopsy” as actually being an alibi.  (You can read it here if you need a nap.)  That’s when things really started to click.  But yesterday a piece appeared that made it all too plain.. . .

Jesus said: “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do what I command you. Return the

So another crazy took a shot at or near the president yesterday.  The lack of news coverage is stunning, but then there is little actual news to report and the commentariat is enjoying the holiday weekend.  And yet, it is becoming so common as to drain such events of their news value which is what I think is the actual news here.  The real story is in our reactions to events, not the events proper.. . .

Of note, there is currently a chemical emergency in Garden Grove, California.  Upwards to 40,000 people have been evacuated.  One L.A. TV Station is providing frequent updates, but they are not terribly informative.  The first article (first link) I encountered described the beginning of this event this way, “The leak occurred around 3:30 p.m. Thursday when the 34,000-gallon storage tank containing methyl methacrylate overheated and began venting vapors into the air at the facility, which is located at 12122 Western Ave.”  The vapor release occurred because the tank overheated – for reasons that have not

General Patton quite famously said, “Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man.”  He was referring to the castle and latter day fortress (the Maginot line) of Europe.  Patton was, perhaps, the leading proponent of maneuver warfare having invested heavily in the invention and development of the tank, leading to other mobile army pieces like self-propelled artillery and armored personnel carriers.  He was inspired by Hannibal crossing the Alps to take on Rome.  The alps are an immense natural barrier – a fortification built by God – but they are also not the most uncrossable mountains on

Spencer Pratt is making a huge splash in the L.A. mayoral race.  It is a heck of a fun show.  Unfortunately that is all I think it is – a show.  Buzz not withstanding the odds are very much against him and even if he managed to win, there is not all that much he could do to truly change things in that increasingly dystopian city.  Meanwhile there are some very serious issues at hand.. . .

Higher education – colleges and universities – migrated here from Europe.  They were, traditionally a mentor/tutor/apprentice program.  One studied under some professor that you worked very hard to get to accept you and he gave you his wisdom as well as encouraged you to expand humanity’s knowledge generally.  It was not all that different from apprenticing to be a blacksmith, but you learned how to work with books, not metal.  As America brought democracy to education and human knowledge expanded to the point that specialization (majors) became necessary, educational programs were developed and it was no

It seems like the more we learn the less we know.  As people “study” we learn more and more about everything from how insects reproduce to the existence of planets outside of our solar system.  We do massive “big data” studies on human behavior and social trends and think we understand people.  Soon we discover that there is more to know than any one person can know.  And we often react to what we do not know with fear.  (Think covid.)   The people that do know often play on that fear to make sure they keep getting what they need (money) from us to keep what we fear at bay.  (Again, think covid.)