The reason politics feels louder every year is that it has crowded out every quieter thing that used to give life meaning. The govt's infiltration of everything means that what was once societal and personal is now political and thus part of the neverending sparring that factions engage in to defend what they prefer against the coercive intentions of those they oppose. The solution, naturally, is to extricate the government from almost everything. Let people make whatever choices they prefer. Don't tax people to fund what they hate. Respect property rights.

Also, the question doesn’t make sense because that’s not the point of America. There are ethnostates all over the globe. Japan is probably more restrictive than Israel. But America was always intended as *pluralistic,* which makes it the exception, not the rule!

My biggest takeaway from 18 months discussing Amendment 3 is how few people, including many state elected officials, actually understand how city and county budgets work. And part of that confusion has been fueled by the FAFO “audits,” which throw out big numbers without enough detail showing what is recurring versus one-time, what belongs to enterprise or restricted funds, what represents capital projects, and what is actually tied to the general fund. Those distinctions matter. Ending a one-time capital project doesn’t pay next year’s firefighters. Money sitting in a utility enterprise fund can’t simply be moved over to pay police officers. Eliminating parks, libraries and recreation may still not come close to closing a recurring budget hole. Just as few people seem to understand what inflation and growth actually do to local budgets. A city serving more residents, employees and businesses while paying higher wages, construction costs, insurance, fuel and equipment costs will spend more nominal dollars over time. That was true before Amendment 3, and it will be true after it. And restricting property-tax revenue doesn’t magically make the cost of government disappear. Cities and counties can shift costs to fire assessments, stormwater charges and other non-ad valorem fees. That doesn’t mean local government shouldn’t become more efficient. It absolutely should. But before Florida fundamentally rewrites how local government is funded, we should at least understand how it is funded today. Big numbers without context aren’t an audit. And moving a cost from your tax bill to your fee bill isn’t necessarily a tax cut.

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to end online anonymity. Asked what a real-name mandate would mean for whistleblowers and investigative journalists, he didn’t address the journalism question. Instead he said: “Please, nobody come to me with 'free speech.'” reclaimthenet.org/merz-end-o…

Happy Constitution Day for those who... celebrate? ... it :D

In 2005, less than 4% of UT undergrads were international students. Today, 4% of UT undergrads are international students. Sean Davis is lying and telling his followers that number is 30% in order to stir up hysteria.

Vance on AI regulation: If you're building Frankenstein, stop!

Today is Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026. This is the sky as @DuvalSchools staff were arriving to work at 6:03a EDT (1) and kids were waiting on their busses in the UNF area at 6:10a EDT (2). Why do politicians want our kids waiting for school in the dark?? #DitchDST @SaveStandard @SenAshleyMoody @AngieNixon @SenRickScott @RepRutherfordFL

🦔GM announced that the 2027 Silverado and Sierra V8 trucks will not have a physical oil dipstick. Drivers will have to use a digital gauge on the dashboard instead. You need to start the engine and wait for the computer to give you a reading. A YouTube mechanic tested a similar system on another GM truck, drained a large amount of oil, and the digital gauge never changed. The sensor costs hundreds to replace. A dipstick costs about $10. My Take This is the kind of stuff that drives me crazy. GM took out a part that has worked for a hundred years and replaced it with a sensor that a mechanic on YouTube already showed doesn't read accurately on a similar GM system. When the sensor fails, and sensors do fail, you're at the dealer paying hundreds for something that used to cost $10 and ten seconds in your driveway. You used to pop the hood, pull the stick, and know exactly where you stood. Now you need the engine on, the computer running, and a prayer that the sensor is calibrated right. I think the auto industry has completely lost the plot on what regular buyers want. The average new truck transaction is over $55,000 because dealers stock the trims with the best margins. The base model exists on paper but good luck finding one on the lot. And if the payment doesn't fit, they'll stretch it to 100 months and call it affordable. Now the truck you can barely afford won't even let you check the oil in your own driveway. Every industry does this now. Find something people need, make it digital, make it harder to do yourself, and squeeze a little more out of people every year. CD sales went up 58% this year because people got tired of not owning their music. I think you're going to see that across a lot more industries. Hedgie🤗

If “Aaron Philo” or “Tramell Jones” beats Auburn and Byrum Brown on the road in their first SEC start ever then I will staple my ballsack to the ceiling Shit is not happening yall need to be put down

I think this is what's happening: 1. Anthropic and OpenAI (the “incumbents”) have IPOs coming up and are genuinely concerned with the rise of Opensource AI eating into their demand. 2. Positioning themselves as the saviors and only ones to trust with safety, incumbents are hoping this free marketing will help with their IPOs. 3. Incumbents are spreading fear and doubt about AI safety to slow down Opensource with crony capitalism (classic railroad company strategy during the Guided Era). 4. Incumbents have the power to slow down their own progress but choose to spread fear instead to feed into their agenda. It’s all about the money and power. Same story, different era.

New cars in the E.U. must now have cameras that track drivers' eyes and flag distractions. buff.ly/4ofS27h

Today is Monday, Sept 14, 2026. This is the sky as @DuvalSchools staff were arriving to work at 6:02a EDT (1) and kids were waiting on their busses in the UNF area at 6:10a EDT (2). Why do politicians want our kids waiting for school in the dark?? #DitchDST @SaveStandard @SenAshleyMoody @AngieNixon @SenRickScott @RepRutherfordFL