My Grandma Ruby (Mother’s side) was a racist. 

I remember her teaching me “Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo,” and it wasn’t a “tiger” that caught us by the toe. More seriously, I remember her talking about Los Angeles being overrun by “black people” (again, another word was used), and suggesting they were all criminals.

Even so, my primary memories about my grandma don’t center on her views on race. I remember her teaching my brother and me how to play canasta when we stayed overnight. And the chicken she fried and the biscuits she baked. And her teaching us Psalm 23, the Shepherd’s Prayer that she recited every night.

I made science and I did not use emotions to do it.

I haven’t paid a ton of attention to Kamala and Kamala’s campaign because almost anything else is more interesting. But after watching the debate, I get Gad Saad’s comedic podcast and I better understand his essay.

I have been recently active on X.com. It is my personal attempt to support and contribute to Elon Musk’s venture. (I admire Musk’s attempts to maintain one of the few free speech platforms in the world.)

So it came as a surprise to have my account suspended:

The recent debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump revealed the worst sides of both candidates. As Heather Mac Donald wrote, the egregious partisanship of the ABC pair David Muir and Linsey Davis aside, there was no excuse for Trump’s unforced whoppers and his random asides on stage. The more serious problem, however, deals with substance.

On this point, Trump’s major shortfall was instantly evident. His opening remarks reaffirmed his view that tariffs on foreign imports could raise billions of American dollars from the Chinese and other outsiders, without once considering whether or not those increased taxes would in part be passed forward both to American consumers and to American manufacturers. The former would find it harder to put food on the table, and the latter would be less able to compete in global markets if the higher price on key foreign inputs raises the costs of exports destined to these same foreign markets. It would have helped if Harris had denounced these tariffs, but she is on the same page: the Biden administration recently announced huge tariff increases up to 100 percent on electric vehicles (EVs), as well as hikes on chips and steel. These tariffs will not clean up the air by making the shift to EVs more expensive, but they will endanger public health by increasing the costs of vital medical equipment. Another foolish economic move is the potential blocking of a purchase of struggling US Steel by Nippon Steel, a decision that has now been deferred until after the presidential election. Congratulations for a bipartisan mindset that is lose, lose, lose all around.

As my avatar will show, I am no TDS victim.  But I have a dissenting view on the September 15 assassination attempt.  This is based on my synthesis of reporting on Drudge and NRO, and the fact that, although a physician, I am not a golfer.

I think the USSS functioned admirably.

I am reading (for the first time) Whittaker Chambers’ Witness. It is a fascinating and extremely engaging book.

That said, the Communists in his world are very concerned about advancing humanity. Communism seems to be awfully focused on people. And I genuinely do not understand why this is so.

“Star Wars: The Acolyte” has been canceled.  Turns out the audience for a show with an openly sociopathic plot energetically defended by a deranged production staff is close to zero.

The plot of the Acolyte is simple.  Female twins are separated at birth.  One (May) is raised by a dark lord of the Sith, the other (Osha) by the Jedi.  The Sith kills Osha’s Jedi friends from childhood and her female love interest.  But she takes one look at his naked body and all is forgiven.  She joins him, but not before killing the Jedi who raised her.  The two mind-wipe May and leave her to be found by the Jedi before running off into the sunset.  Along the way, about 30 lesbian space witches are accidentally killed by a female Jedi Master, played by Carrie-Anne Moss.

Shots were fired between Secret Service agents and an apparent would-be assassin at Trump International Golf Course, where the former president and nominee was golfing Sunday afternoon.

The suspect is now in custody and has been identified; he left behind a rifle at the scene after exchanging fire with agents before fleeing. According to a Secret Service official, the gunman was within 300 to 500 yards of the former president before being spotted.