We Are All Illegal Aliens

 

I figured that we would hear some crazy things about the fires in Los Angeles, but I assumed that the craziest things would be about climate change. And we have heard just those things already mentioned in the mainstream media.

But, in fact, someone has said something even crazier. Listening to the radio, I heard someone say that the reason this happened was because “humans have moved into natural spaces.” I don’t know about you, but I have always lived in a natural space and everyone I know does too.

Nothing “jejune” about this edition, except perhaps for the first-ever use of “jejune” in a podcast, but it is the perfect term to describe Joe Biden’s “farewell address,” which, aside from its jejune content, is a most welcome sound, since he will be gone in about another 48 hours, never to be heard from again one hopes.

This week we take up three topics—one from each of the bartenders: Behold, President Biden amended the Constitution on Friday—all by himself! Aside from the obvious absurdity and low comedy of it, what does it tell us about the state of leftist presumption? Special counsel Jack Smith released his magnum opus, which seems more of a parvum opus if not an opusculum (ask your nearest Latin geek), Finally, Biden’s farewell address—and presidential farewell addresses in general—was our third topic (summary: it was absolutely Biden’s opusculum).

Did It Have to Be Moshe?

 

G-d tells Moshe to go and save the Jews. Moshe’s reply is a question: “Who am I?”

G-d seems to ignore the question, almost as if it was the wrong question! Instead of answering the question directly, G-d replies:

The National Endowment for the Arts has been with us for sixty years, coinciding conspicuously with the ascendancy of nihilistic works that pollute our public spaces. Justin Shubow aims to change all of that. He’s a top candidate to chair the NEA under the second Trump administration and has a particular interest in the proper design of federal architecture. What have columns and Roman arches to do with the re-moralization of the free citizen? Listen in to find out.

Plus, James, Steve and Charlie adjust to Biden’s just-declared 28th amendment; they work their way through the confirmation hearing highlights; and lose themselves in a David Lynch-like daydream.

President Trump Gets His Shorts in a Twist

 

Over the last eight years, I’ve tolerated a lot from Donald Trump. But his latest complaint is truly pathetic. Instead of rising above a small disappointment—that the flag would still be flying at half-staff during his inauguration to acknowledge the passing of Jimmy Carter–he’s complaining about it. From what I can tell, he’s been upset about it for a couple of weeks.

Traditionally, the flag is flown at half-staff for 30 days, to recognize a president’s death. But poor Trump has taken that decision personally and protested the procedure:

The stories you may have missed this week:

  • If there was any doubt about Biden’s mental state it was put to rest with his delusional farewell address
  • Biden throws some immigration bombs on his way out the door
  • Hearings for Pam Bondi and Pete Hesgeth continue apace with stupid questions
  • Special shoutout to Mazie Hirono

In this special MLK Day episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Prof. Lerone Martin, Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor at Stanford University and Director of the MLK Research and Education Institute. Dr. Martin offers deep insights into the life and legacy of Dr. King. He explores MLK’s role as a spiritual and political leader, advocating for nonviolent protest and “soul force.” Prof. Martin discusses the dynamic between Dr. King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and figures like Bob Moses and Fannie Lou Hamer. He highlights how MLK’s understanding of history, literature, poetry, and hymns influenced his iconic speeches, including the famous “I Have a Dream” address. Dr. Martin then delves into MLK’s struggles in Birmingham, the challenges he faced from FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and his “Mountaintop” speech before his assassination. Prof. Martin also examines the Civil Rights Movement’s impact on both Southern and Northern cities and its place in contemporary education, urging policymakers, schools, and parents to learn from MLK’s teachings.

The reason for the post-Covid lack of trust in doctors’ advice

 

Vaccines may not be the most spectacular of all the miracles of modern medicine, but they are arguably the most beneficial. They have virtually eliminated the infectious diseases of childhood, including measles, diphtheria, mumps, rubella, smallpox and polio that were once the sources of unimaginable worry and grief for parents everywhere.

Vaccines are estimated to have saved over 150 million lives in the last five decades, cutting infant mortality by 40% globally and over 50% in Africa. Closer to home, of all babies born in the US in 2001 alone, a 2005 study showed that vaccines prevented 33,000 deaths and 14 million illnesses. Vaccines are also the most cost-effective of all medical interventions, easily yielding the greatest amount of benefit received per dollar spent.

RIP David Lynch

 

David Lynch, who only last year announced that many years of smoking had left him with emphysema so serious he could no longer leave the house, has died.

As a lifelong movie fan, I have had something of a love-hate relationship with the work of David Lynch. When I was studying film in college, and had grandiose aspirations of becoming a film auteur myself, I was a big fan. In retrospect, that wasn’t based on much: at that point, he had only two features to his name, Eraserhead and The Elephant Man. But for a teenaged film buff with an interest in the avant-garde, Eraserhead was a masterpiece, a singular vision like nothing else. And The Elephant Man was brilliantly atmospheric, adapting the grim and unsettling tone of the earlier film and packaging it into something that was almost, but not quite, mainstream.

Biblical History is Real

 

Forum Romanum. Wikimedia Commons

Dr. Luke knew “what was real.” The good doctor gives the precision, the detail we come to expect from doctors. Luke 3:1-6 is a case in point. Luke chronicles the historic exactitude of John the Baptist’s mission and message to the world. The first two verses identify seven rulers, their times, names, titles, and events surrounding their regimes.

If you wanna win an election, you gotta build a coalition—just don’t expect it to last forever. As we enter the second quarter of this American century, Henry sits down with Karl Rove to discuss the coalition he helped forge at the millennium’s beginning. But they don’t stop there! Karl and Henry find valuable lessons in the Republican Party’s working-class appeal during the McKinley era, on to the Compassionate Conservatism of the aughts, and finally to Donald Trump’s assertive MAGA movement.

LA Fires Claim Priceless Art

 

What if the Louvre burned? Or the Vatican Museum or the Met?  Imagine the loss to our cultural and artistic heritage.  The home of Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris, the world’s largest collector of Hunter Biden originals (over 200) has been destroyed in the ongoing fiery catastrophe in California. (See Hunter Biden artworks worth ‘millions of dollars’ destroyed in LA fires.)

If insurance covered the loss, how would it be valued?  At the original prices, estimated to be a total in the millions?  Current market value as the Biden family recedes from prominence?  Is the value expected to increase as a set of interesting, even fun historical artifacts, or will the value plummet with the loss of political relevance and buzz?  Art experts will likely debate this unique valuation problem for decades.

No doubt history will add this blow to our shared American art heritage to the extensive tab already rung up by the negligent Governor Newsome and Mayor Bass. Shame.

In the premiere episode of Microschooling Journeys, Curious Mike joins his friend Spencer Blasdale, a former school leader and former CEO of SchoolWorks, on a road trip to KaiPod Microschool in Nashua, New Hampshire. With years of experience evaluating schools—public, private, and charter—Spencer brings a sharp, seasoned perspective to his first encounter with a microschool. At KaiPod, they observe a unique setup: 14 students guided by two dedicated adults in a personalized, community-driven learning environment. Spencer’s impressions spark key questions: How does this innovative model compare to traditional schools? Would he have considered it for his two daughters? Join us for this engaging exploration of microschooling! Stay tuned for future episodes that deepen the journey: Episode 2 features Meghan, a KaiPod guide; Episode 3 spotlights Nick, a 15-year-old student at KaiPod; and Episode 4 concludes with CEO Amar Kumar, sharing his vision for revolutionizing education through microschools.

It’s the last week of the Biden Administration and Monday marks the return of Donald Trump to the White House. Is the conflict in Gaza also coming to an end? And could this also be the beginning of the end for Progressive Democrats in California as much of Los Angeles County lies in ashes?

We talk to Allysia Finley, columnist, member of The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, and resident of Southern California.

Nobel Peace Prize for Trump’s Second Term

 

Let’s not forget the 52 American hostages that were captured by Iran on November 4th, 1979. For 444 days they were held captive until the threat of a conservative US president loomed. On January 20th, 1981, the hostages were released at the same time Ronald Reagan took office.

Two American hostages, 1979. Wikimedia Commons.

Americans Are Poorer

 

I came across this data on real (i.e., inflation-adjusted) household income.  It explains precisely why Harris lost the election and highlights the corrosive effects of the 21.0% inflation during the Biden-Harris administration and the failure of Bidenomics.  Twenty-seven states experienced their peak of median real household income during the Trump administration.  Since then real median household income nationwide has declined by almost 1%  ($81,210 in 2019 vs $80,610 in the most recent data).

This week, we look back at our conversations with guests Joe Pinion, Jaco Booyens and James Lindsay – with Ericka and Ben hosting.

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This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dr. Kymyona Burk, Senior Policy Fellow at ExcelinEd and former state literacy director for Mississippi. Dr. Burk shares insights from her remarkable career in K-12 education reform. She discusses her journey from classroom teacher to leading transformative literacy initiatives in Mississippi that resulted in groundbreaking improvements in early literacy and NAEP reading scores. She examines the strengths and weaknesses of teaching approaches like “whole language” and phonics and emphasizes the importance of early childhood education, leadership, and high-quality reading materials in fostering young readers. Reflecting on Mississippi’s successes and the broader national learning loss exacerbated by COVID-19, Dr. Burk offers actionable advice for state policymakers to help students recover and thrive with the science of reading.

Escort Biden out of the Building, Now!

 

Source: Dreamstime

Could security just escort Biden and his Administration out of the workplace buildings already?  Please, right now. Not a moment to waste. Ideally, it would’ve occurred some time ago. In the corporate world, when a person is fired (especially unceremoniously), it is not uncommon for the sacked to immediately be forced to clean out his desk under supervision, turn in his company badge and computer, have his passwords disabled, and then walked out the front door with an escort. This practice is rather unpleasant, but there is a reason for it.

Microschool Journeys with Curious Mike is an eight-episode podcast series airing in January and February 2025. Host Curious Mike explores the rise of microschools—small, innovative learning environments—with stories from his personal experiences, expert insights, and visits to models like KaiPod.  What happens day to day, in terms of socialization, achievement, and personalization?  How quickly do they enter and exit the market?  Who pays?  Perfect for educators, parents, and policymakers, this podcast offers a deep dive into this fascinating straddle between homeschools and traditional schools.

America’s national debt stands at over $36 trillion dollars as of early 2025. What does that mean? How did we get here? What should and can be done about it? What are the consequences of inaction? AIER.org policy analyst Dave Hebert joins Jeff this week to discuss this problem, hiding in plain sight, its background, and possibilities for the incoming Trump administration and the future.

#debt #nationaldebt #politics #congress #deficits #debtceiling

Ancient Sodom in Modern BritainSodom and Gomorrah in Britain: How incest and rape gangs are related

 

People reference Sodom and Gomorrah, and they reference Lot engaging in incest with his daughters, but they don’t focus on how the two are related. I figured out the connection between the two and how it explains Pakistani rape gangs in modern times. Here is a short refresher from the New King James Bible:

Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”

Democrats are losing their minds

 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Atlantic has a remarkable article up:  “How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 days – He used the constitution to shatter the constitution.”  I don’t subscribe to The Atlantic, so I couldn’t read the entire article linked.  Thus, I’m unsure if they explain why they just happened to publish this article just as Trump is taking office.  Perhaps it’s just a coincidence.  Or perhaps they describe some perceived parallels that they see between Trump and Hitler.  I don’t think it matters.  Their intention is clear.  Regardless, here are the first two paragraphs, that I could see on this side of the paywall: