Judi S.

However, I wouldn’t sweat over loss of USAID to American farmers and agricultural research.

Well if I was a “real” farmer I might sweat a little. It is the immediate cut-off of all USAID that is the problem.  There was no sliding scale to zero over a few years to allow contingency plans to be put in place. Given that USAID constituted about 0.…[Read more]

@jakelafort – Feel free to add to this post, if you want.

I have recently read both of these books and I would recommend them:

The Knowledge Machine – Michael Strevens. Link.

and

Free Thinking – Simon McCarthy Jones. Link.

Recent cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have significantly affected American farmers. In January 2025, the Trump administration ordered a near-total freeze on foreign aid, leading to a halt in USAID’s procurement of U.S.-grown crops for international food assistance programs. This abrupt cessation has disrupted a vital…[Read more]

I shall continue to watch Tesla in silence.

It’s a mistake to think that FDR and JFK fit into the category of Classical Liberalism.

Yes, after 2 seconds thinking about it, I fully agree. Neither were classical liberals in the tradition of Locke or Adam Smith. Both expanded federal power.  FDR and the NEW Deal was to tie down the economy in red tape and JFK  expanded a “Big Brother ” sur…[Read more]

Here is another review of the Sunday book recommendation.

@Unseen – Yes, a lot more than just the economy.

Project 2025 ‘is the agenda’ for Trump’s second term and they admitted it the day after the election.  The thing with the lies is that there were so many of them and fired from various sources simultaneously. There was too much to unpick. By the time people got over the “Eating the dogs and eating…[Read more]

On the Nobel prize:

From the NYT:

On Sunday, Mr. Rubio leaned heavily on emotive language to push back against the critics who have since berated the Trump administration for the public display of hostility toward Mr. Zelensky, a wartime president who frames his battle against Russia’s invasion as a bulwark of Europe’s security and freedom. Mr.…[Read more]

@Unseen

The mayor of Perugia in Italy where Meredith Kercher was murdered was annoyed that Knox filmed her “Blue Moon” documentary there. Knox did not bring shame to the town, its own police force did. The mayor was more concerned about the public image of the town being associated with the crime again than with the 16 years Knox had spent cle…[Read more]

@Unseen – The Dems simply got ahead of their skis and are paying the price.

They paid the price because the GOP amplified their “wokeness”. It got major airtime on Faux News and the other platforms that MAGA tune in to. It was always headline news for MAGA even when only a small minority of the Dems had vocalized it. The GOP got voters foc…[Read more]

@TheEncogitationer: On the design argument……

There is fundamental flaw in the Fine-Tuning Argument that many Christian apologists use. If a god created the universe, then it would not appear finely tuned—it would simply be as it was designed to be. The need to invoke fine-tuning actually undermines the premise of an all-powerful creator in s…[Read more]

@_Robert_ Sunday school today is awash with stories of how Amerika is bucking traditional conservative values.

At the editorial meeting this morning I decided to tone down “the politics”. No-one disagreed with me 🙂

But you comment got me thinking. I started to answer it and somehow ended up with the following so I will publish it and be…[Read more]

Have a great week folks!

“Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for critical thinking.”

– Leo Tolstoy.

Lear’s business license has been revoked for violating city ordinances, which include a provision that requires security personnel uniforms be clearly and visibly marked with the word “Security,” Sergeant Reneau said.

Re the badges video, what caught my attention first was that it looked like they were wearing black shirts.

I too had forgotten about Natan Sharansky.  It is good to read a different perspective, especially when it is from someone whose life experience gives it a weighting that basement pundits can never attain.

Who are you and where are your badges?

A letter in the Free Press.

@Enco, no problem, thanks. I devised a simple routine to see if I could catch Chatgpt out. I think I have made A.I. look a bit dumb. I will post later…..