159 Comments

Btw, Don, this is a brilliant piece- a clarion call to stir us up to “love and good works”. (Hebrews 10.24)

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Indeed, this is brilliant … I am stunned to silence in contemplating these words; for their import for “such a time as this”! May GOD bless America with Providential wisdom and courage to those chosen by VOTE or appointment to carry, raise, lift the banner of FREEDOM and RIGHT for our Republic! We must continue to pray, “THY will be done, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”. 🇺🇸🙏

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01/10/25: It was a pleasure to read, although the subject was often about people whose sacrifices or exposure to totalitarian government lunacy left them destitute, hardly pleasant at all (the story of Robert Morris is shocking). Bravo! to Don.

Finally: A Woke-DEI disaster (LACA) that thjey can't blame on "racism." But they will try. Wait and see. And all of this --- humorous despite the overiding theme --- was worth listening to to:

https://x.com/EricAbbenante/status/1877207054105886836

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So, a Surber was a spy; how interesting. A little bit of history that made me chuckle this AM. Thanks for another great history lesson. And out here in very dry northern AZ (no moisture for months), I have contacted my fire-wise specialist to come out and spend a day or two knocking down dead grasses and bushes and hauling the stuff away. We do this regularly on our seven acres; many times a year; to build and maintain a fire-wise buffer for us and our subdivision. Newscum should learn.

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Like the Dems always say, "never let a crisis get away". I'm wondering this morning if this is the last straw for California. If the pictures are any where close to accurate, this is a very visible example of Dem management and leadership. It will hit thousands in the pocketbook and that's usually what wakes a Dem voter up.

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California should really be two states; northern and southern; they are so different. That is not original thinking by me; it has been bantered about for years. Your comments are right on; will this be the beginning of the end of the Dem-reign in CA? I sure hope so. Tens or hundreds of thousands are being hit and hurt by this fire. This one is BIG.

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Nah. "Vote blue no matter who" is a creed as strong as any one from Nicaea or Chalcedon. They'll still vote for the Ds. It's their religion.

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16hEdited

True story: My sister's husband passed away in November of Dubya's final days. The letter from a sitting POTUS came with a certificate signed by Obama. My sister found the ONE California congress critter (a dem, of course) who would have Dubya's auto pen sign the real letter. Neither BHO or Dubya ever knew about it, since it was all done by some flunky de jure.

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CA hasn't always. been deep blue - my good friends who moved from there to TX in the mid '80's when a portion of Lockheed moved to Austin in the mid '80's were proudly "registered Republicans" and they definitely were not in the minority

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Western too - the non-coastal side like Fresno is normal, but ruled by the Nuts on the coast…

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01/10/25: Unless literally hundreds of people die as a result of the Karen Bass Political Pipeline, no.

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Many of those losing homes are Hollywood millionaires who escaped to one of their other mansions. The wife was watching the Tonight Show last night and Jamie Lee Curtis said her house was one of those consumed by the fire. She then went on to do some comedy with Fallon. She did however sound drunk. Speaking loudly like drunks do.

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That said I should add that many of the people losing their homes are just regular folks who are devastated by this tragedy. An absentee Mayor, a vastly reduced Fire Department, poorly managed water supply and forest and a Governor who doesn't give a hoot about his constituents. This jackass wants to be President. God help us.

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Very sadly - those long time property owners (them what has low property taxes because they’ve owned it for 40-60 years and Prop 13 has kept their taxes low) will not be allowed to just rebuild as was. The whole process will be agony of regulation and suppression. The environuts will use this to suppress as much building as possible and to force that agenda. The coastal commission will say no to anything even remotely in their jurisdiction. Consider how property owners in Maui are struggling to recover. The powerbrokers don’t really want them to recover.

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Laura Ingram had an excellent interview with James Woods who actually knew his neighbors and especially one 90+ year old man with dementia who he thought was in a care home but called the son and was able to get EMS to rescue him

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1st they have to clean up their elections.

Not even "Too Big To Rig" will work there.

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This is the real solution to California's problems.

And how absurd that California just BANNED Voter ID.

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California Democrats will soon be complaining that they can't get the Democrats they want elected. Maybe then they will admit that getting rid of those nasty Republicans didn't fix anything. Will they then realize, it was never about policies, only about those in power staying in power.

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I watch as the west coast's elected vegetable stood with a blank stare as she was questioned after landing from her little get-away jaunt to Ghana! (of all places??!?)

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01/10/25: Ghana was the MOST logical place for her to be.

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Still, probably a respite from the homeless tents of L.A.

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He already knows. He simply doesn't care. If it doesn't increase his power or wealth, it means nothing to him. He won't pay any price for all the things he has ruined. (Much like any other politician of similar stripe.)

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AZ this year, passed a law.

Basically saying if the infrastructure around your neighborhood is not properly maintained by the government services and your property values are affected you may sue for damages from said government services.

Will lawsuits be filed after the next mountain top fire ?

Did we just write a check we can't cash?

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And, we can't forget that Ben Franklin created the first library - he made it possible for those of us who can not afford our reading habit to read all the books we desire!

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As well as the glasses we need as well!

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bi-focals

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Try focals 4 me.

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And a hundred or so years later another detested "capitalist fat cat", Andrew Carnegie the steel-king, spent his fortune building libraries throughout the country. Except for the very smallest towns, there's hardly one without a Carnegie Library. Although a bit small for today, they are still attractive and well-built.

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And probably the little 5&Dime store where I was finally allowed to ride my bike (and spend my 50-cent allowance) in happy-joyful independence. Crossed 4 lanes of US 31 to get there, too.

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Very interesting column today--and hope sometime you tell us more about your ancestor who was a spy for George Washington.

But the video you linked to of Democratic Senator Chris Murphy was absolutely infuriating. I have had it with these Democratic big mouths that stand up and outrageously smear everything Trump does and anyone who works with Trump. Murphy feels completely free to blast to the whole nation what he IMAGINES are Trump's "greedy" motives to just get richer and richer. Think some "projecting" might be going on?!?

What rock has Chris Murphy been living under? Trump even declined his salary as President for his entire first term, donating each paycheck to various charities. His net worth has declined significantly since he became President--he has poured his complete energy and resources into saving America. He has been a model of entrepreneurial success in many ventures.

Loved the analogy you drew between Trump's cabinet and the wealthy men who had the grit, devotion, and resources to pour into the Founding of America. Some people who are mega-wealthy inherited their money--those are the ones who are Democrats. They feel guilty about money they know they did not really earn, and try to assuage that by assuming a "noble" veneer and supporting "worthy" (Democratic) causes. But a great number of billionaires EARNED their money by being smart, taking risks, and building successful and productive companies. These billionaires are the most admirable men in America, and the pinnacle of what capitalism can enable. Musk in particular is a genius, who is breaking new ground in space and in technology. People like Chris Murphy cannot even hide their jealousy of these successful men.

Yes, we have to attend to getting the RINO's out of the Republican Party, but we really need to put more of the spotlight on these Democratic Senators and Representatives who have no independent successes of their own and herd together to vote lockstep for the dangerous Marxist Left policies. Thank you, Don, for exposing Sen. Chris Murphy's outrageous smear. I hope it goes viral.

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Identifying the Founders this way, and aligning them with other producers today, demonstrates how important making things is. People who know how and have the energy and drive to make things have ways made a difference in the world. And the successful ones have always been targets out of jealousy and greed.

Contrast the makers today to those in politics - how many of them have ever accomplished anything at all outside of picking up their government paychecks? Not only do they not make anything, they know nothing about those who do make things, nor about how things are made. And they have no curiosity about any of it - just jealousy and greed to take it away.

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Ayn Rand called them "the looters". Parasites on the productive people.

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Great comment - thank you.

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My wife and I are fans of fictional detective Harry Bosch and are trying to figure out if the Sunset Fire will reach Woodrow Wilson Drive.

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Long ago we read all the Bosch novels; a wonderful series. And then Titus Welliver played a great Bosch in the TV series; we need more of those. Good comment.

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I have been following Harry Bosch and Arkady Renko (Martin Cruz Smith) since the days when they would have to stop and find a pay phone to make calls. Now Bosch has cancer and Renko has Parkinson’s (Smith has Parkinson’s)

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Good reminder about Gorky Park (also a great movie I thought). I am inspired now to pick up the Martin Cruz Smith series of books.... in order. The Henning Mankell (Swedish) series of books featuring Kurt Wallander as the detective is also outstanding. Based in southern Sweden; and the British movies based on those books are also very good. I was not happy when that series of books ended.

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Impatiently awaiting the final season of Bosch Legacy.

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Here is a viewing tip. Find the 2007 NBC series LIFE with Damon Lewis and Sarah Shahi. Titus Welliver plays a really bad guy. It’s a great story and well acted. Many many great actors..

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I will read anything by Michael Connelly. All his books are good.

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Goid books!

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I have yet to hear anything but hate speech from Sen. Chris Murphy. He is a Schumer clone but way dumber. As the facts surrounding the LA wild fires come tumbling out, it is clear that the DEI hires there have turned a minor disaster into a major disaster. Combined with the flight of insurance companies caused by the refusal of the state to allow higher premiums, the residents there are getting the royal shaft. I hope the utter disaster that the once great State of California wrought by the left wing of the Democrat Party is not forgotten by the other municipalities.

The poll was brilliant today. All good choices, but I went with Magadonia which was a hat tip to Groucho Marx's Freedonia and, of course, MAGA.

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Hmmm, Magadonia.

Catchy 👍

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MAGA was ‘the little engine that could’ that gained steam and put our saving grace in office. I thought it worthy.

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Neither wealth nor poverty, in and of themselves are anything. It is the individual who determines ultimate value. There are as many avaricious poor people as there are generous wealthy ones, and vice versa. Like guns, wealth is neither good nor evil; it is the use to which it is put that determines its virtue or vice. Only individuals can make that choice. Similarly, group identity is entirely irrelevant to value; each individual must determine what and how to act in society and it is that and that alone which is the measure of good or ill. When one eventually stands before The GreatJudge, He will not ask to what group you belonged, or how much money you had or lacked. There is only a single question that will be put and the answer will have already been given in the life that you led while on Earth. Make sure your life is led in the fashion that provides the correct answer, the one given by Peter when Jesus asked, "Who do you say I am?". Be like Peter.

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Yes, Steve - so true. You don't hear any Dems complaining about Soros, Bezos or Zuckerberg dollars affecting our political system and culture. Hypocrites.

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Amen!

Our antecedents were both among the founders. One was a justice on the first Supreme Court. In Washington he lived in a boarding house. (He was measurably poorer after the American Revolution, no longer enjoying the benefits of of his royal appointment ruling the port of Albermarle, NC)

The British took the home of my husband's forbear as it was the best in town (Yorktown). When our side (I believe it was Rochambeau) originally declined to hit Nelson's house with cannon, Nelson told him to fire away. Nelson also lost most of his fortune as another financier of the Revolutionary cause.

They literally put their money where there mouth was.

Their example still motivates me.

We are blessed to have similar people involved at this time to take back our country.

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♥️

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"“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Donald Trump is the only man - the only candidate for President in my lifetime - who lives up to these words of our founders.

It is inspiring, but also a bit ominous, that we are re-living the original fight to save our Republic with this election.

Declaration of Independence 2.0

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Interesting timing as we move towards the celebration of the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding!

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Well put Shrugged.

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Sen. Murphy is worried about billionaires screwing over all of us to make themselves even more filthy rich but I notice he hasn't said squat about him and his fellow members of Congress screwing over the taxpayer in order to make themselves filthy rich.

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Didn't George Washington refuse a second term because he did not want to abuse the office and thought the term of office should be short and held by average CITIZENS? We need TERM LIMITS. Now!!

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Actually, GW served two terms, but refused to run for a third which sort of set the precedent of two terms and out until FDR came along. The 22nd Amendment codified the two term limit which was passed during Harry Truman's presidency. Having said that, I totally agree that term limits for Congresscritters is long overdue. If it's good enough for the President, it's good enough for Congress.

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His returning to his Mt Vernon and farms was much welcomed by Geo W. At his Dogue Run Farm next his Union Farm and Mt Vernon he had developed a wharf on the Potomac, a gristmill and cooperage (1771), and 5 still distillery (1798) (now rebuilt and operational) to produce Whiskey that could be sold for hard cash same day in Alexandria. He also built hog & cattle sheds (1798) to feed the slops left over from the Distillery. Geo subscribed to all the ‘blogs’ of that time from the most progressive English, Scottish & French farmers. He did crop rotation, figured out how to diversify away from tobacco as world production made it economically unprofitable.

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Spot on Jim !@

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No, he actually served 2 terms, but refused to submit to a third which was being pressed on him.

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Eventually, and far too late, FDR proved the need for term limits. Much like FJB proved the need for a competence test. A publicly revealed one, not one by a buddy-buddy Dem doctor.

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He actually served two terms, refusing an offer to run again, on the principle he didn’t want to the Presidency to be considered as if it were that of a King - for quite good reason, obviously.

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The fastest way to term limits is to take away the retirement for any elected offices.

Why should Barry receive a government check when he is being given millions in bribes called book deals?

Also seize every dime a congressman receives in book deals and speaking fees while in office or based on their time in office. Also monitor their book deals to ensure they receive only a commission for real sales. No L Ron Hubbarding where they fake sell the same books dozens of times.

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In keeping w/their unwavering loyalty, 159 lemmings voted against the Laken Riley Act. Already appears at least 8 DEM Senators are reading the tea leaves. The pressure should be relentless.

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Murphy thinks Trump and Musk will be an oligarchy? What is our current situation? Pelosi and a bunch of other Dems in the House and Senate have gotten rich--and their salaries are not big enough to generate the wealth they have. Biden himself has always had his hands out for money, and his elaborate schemes to get it through his brother and son are now being exposed. His graft was visible for years, to anybody who actually cared to look. And he's not the only one. There are some honest people in our government, but not enough.

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The name Greenland, according to what I've read, was the equivalent of "Green Hills Estates" and similar fancy names given by crafty developers to fast-buck housing tracts. Erik the Red, the first Viking to discover Greenland, was the medieval version of such a developer. Greenland was and is not very green except along sheltered edges, but for a while his promotion was successful because it happened during the Medieval Warm Period, from about 950 to 1250 AD, which was a repeat of the Roman Warm Period: these things seem to occur roughly every 1000 years. Greenland's settlers managed to establish a cattle-based economy, but when in the 13th century the weather turned colder again, and increasing sea ice made shipping between Greenland and Norway and Iceland more difficult, the settlers either died out or left, and for centuries Greenland remained abandoned again.

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Iceland is green and Greenland is ice.

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Superb historical article Don! So glad that you are sharing so much of our past and our true heroes!! Murphy is a student of Alinsky. Nothing he says surprises me. In one ear, out the other ear. Congratulations on another terrific article.

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Most of your polls are pretty funny, this one was hilarious!!!

The article, however, is so true that it is depressing for America to need to hear this rather than many able to SEE to...

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We have not taken a cruise to Trumplandia, but have been to Iceland next door. Other than natural tundra and polar bears, low priority to visit a bleak landscape w no ‘former culture like Europe’ Norwegian Svaalbard in the Arctic Circle and Alaska are much higher on the list. The Climate is (currently) inhospitable to agriculture, so consists of ‘indigenous people’ subsisting on fishing w everything brought in on Fossil Fuel carbon powered …Ships. No industry, no economy to support any infrastructure w/o € from Denmark and rent payment from US military bases, like Iceland before tourism. Looks like they need help….

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Cheers to "the return of what was intended".

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