……Every year in the small Estonian town of Kilingi-Nõmme…..witches take center stage at one of Europe’s most unusual cultural events…. “The Witch Olympics”….. supported by the local municipality……the competition celebrates Estonia’s ancient nõid traditions……healers, herbalists, and wise women…..who once believed to command the forces of nature…..contestants compete in whimsical “witchcraft” challenges inspired by folklore….from broom-flying performances to spell-crafting…..fortune-telling, and herbal knowledge tests…..the winner receives the official title of Estonia’s Witch Champion….making Estonia the only country in Europe that formally crowns a witch each year…..part folklore revival, part festival……the Witch Olympics have become a local symbol of pride…..keeping Estonia’s magical heritage alive in the most unforgettable way.
QUESTION….. “One argument against teaching young children about racism is….. “You’re going to make White kids feel bad about being White”…..what’s your response to that?”
ANSWER….. “Those people are most concerned about our teaching of slavery….so let’s just talk about slavery….if we teach White kids about slavery….we’re going to teach them that there were White people who enslaved people…..that there were Black people who were enslaved…..and we’re also going to teach them that there were White people and Black people….who challenged and fought against slavery….and my question back to them would be…..why can’t we allow White children to identify…..with White abolitionists?”
THANKS LOIS FOR THIS ONE……The House floor exploded today after Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly slammed the gavel……and ended a vote early on a discharge petition that would have forced action on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits…..lawmakers were still trying to cast votes when Johnson cut it off……freezing the count and triggering boos, shouting, and outright chaos in the chamber…..the reason was obvious…..enough Republicans had already broken ranks with Democrats that leadership was about to lose control……rather than allow the vote to finish……Johnson shut it down midstream……blocking Congress from even debating whether millions of Americans keep affordable health coverage as these subsidies near expiration…..reporters on the floor described the scene as highly unusual…..a raw power move driven by panic, not process……and one more thing……
I THINK…..Many Americans will never forgive him for making America….a place people fear….a place people don’t like….don’t trust….don’t want to do business with…..don’t want to visit…..don’t want anything to do with…..because he’s made America a place people laugh at……a place that is cruel and bigoted….America is no longer a destination…..it’s a place to be avoided…..did you watch his surprised Oval Office speech?…..it was great….he spoke about one thing and one thing only…..
ME……Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me Me……God Bless Amerikkka…..and ME!
TRAVEL ADVICE #375…..Drink heavily with locals…..whenever possible.
DEAR UNEMPLOYED….. A remote French lighthouse off the coast of Brittany is reportedly offering an enormous annual salary….of $1.2 million…..yet almost no one is willing to take the job…..this incredible financial incentive highlights the extreme nature of the required work….the lighthouse is situated in one of the most dangerous and exposed locations in the Atlantic Ocean…..storm waves regularly slam the 100-foot structure with terrifying force, making the work both physically perilous and highly stressful…..the role demands living in complete isolation for months at a time…..enduring severe weather…..and accepting zero direct access to land…..despite the seven-figure salary……the job’s demands……isolation, danger, and extreme conditions……appear to be too high a cost for most applicants…..ah thank you…..but I’ll pass…..broke suits me right now.
DID ANCIENT ROMANS WEAR UNDERWEAR?…..Now that’s a question I’ve pondered for….centuries.