"Trump is a Godly man. He’s working for God. He really cares about us. He cares about what happens to us. He didn’t come in there because he wanted money. He is actually working for God...and God is on his side."
- Trump supporter on President Trump.
This summer I decided to reread "The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann.
More than twenty years ago I read it and, like all young people blessed with excessive confidence and insufficient biography, came away with the impression that I had understood the book.
Today I am no longer certain of that.
Which is precisely why I am going to read it again.
Because in the meantime Thomas Mann has remained Thomas Mann, while I have read several hundred more books, worn out a few philosophies, parted ways with a number of illusions, and accumulated enough life to begin suspecting that The Magic Mountain contains entire layers that simply did not exist for me back then.
Great books resemble ancient cities.
You do not see them differently because they have changed.
You see them differently because you are no longer the same person who first walked through their gates.
It will be interesting to discover what I missed.
And even more interesting to discover what has been waiting patiently for more than twenty years to finally be read.
University of California professors are raising urgent concerns that widespread AI-assisted cheating has left many incoming students unprepared for college-level work, particularly in mathematics.
In a letter to university leadership, faculty reported that nearly one-third of students in UC Berkeley’s introductory calculus courses show “severe preparation deficits,” requiring instructors to spend valuable time reteaching middle-school level math concepts.
Educators point to the rapid adoption of AI chatbots like ChatGPT as a major contributor. These tools, they argue, have enabled rampant academic dishonesty, artificially inflated high school grades, and hindered the development of critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
While top institutions such as MIT, Harvard, and Yale have recently reinstated standardized testing requirements (SAT/ACT) to better assess student readiness, the University of California system has maintained its test-optional policy, citing concerns over racial and socioeconomic inequities in standardized exams.
As remedial teaching strains university resources, the debate is intensifying: Are standardized tests a necessary tool to ensure students are prepared, or do they remain an unfair barrier? With AI now deeply embedded in education, universities face growing pressure to find effective ways to restore academic standards.
Gulf Shores, Alabama is where the South quietly keeps one of its best beach escapes.
White sand, warm water, seafood shacks, and sunsets that make you wonder why people keep overlooking it.
These are all programs that Trump has cut funding for and I’m curious where all this money went! Why aren’t we asking questions. Why isn’t Congress asking questions! 🤬
In Denmark, McDonalds workers make $25 an hour and, if they are over twenty, the company starts paying into a pension plan for them, and in addition they have a full 6 weeks of paid vacation.
Now how much do you think this costs customers? The Economist looked into this and found out that the Big Mac costs 76 cents less than it does here.
Don't believe the lies that raising the minimum wage would force prices to go up.
Dad and son are doing batting practice when his son launches one over the fence. Dad can't contain his excitement. Baseball is one of those sports where parents can be directly part of the work, throwing BP, playing catch, hitting grounders, etc
An Arkansas woman was left bleeding out while suffering a miscarriage after doctors were unable to properly treat her due to the state's strict abortion ban. Emily Waldorf survived and is now suing the state challenging its abortion ban, citing its danger to women's health.