Consider, perhaps, the most unlikely elf….
Or, well, is he really?  WATCH:

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood”.

1.) First, please READ THIS ENTIRE THREAD – and the full context of any discussion thread you wish to participate in. Skipping to the comments to express an opinion without reading the content of the discussion is not helpful.
Often, unfortunately very often, we find many of the points injected into comments are already outlined in the construct of the thread itself. -or- Questions asked while the answers are in the primary post.
2.) STAY ON TOPIC – please do not post something unrelated to the specific matter and content of the thread subject. There is a ALWAYS a daily open thread available for any subject you feel should get attention. Never place unrelated, “O/T”, or “Off Topic” comments on a thread unrelated to the topic. It is not ok to say: “sorry, O/T but”… or any iteration therein.
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I am bringing this back for a third time, due to what I consider to be an assault on men in America today. How is this relevant?
Your sons are obviously going to have to be well prepared young men to deal with the increased threat from lunatic feminists who think destroying men is how you handle your objections to the politics of the day. I may later write an update, specifically addressing today’s problems. I hope this helps and encourages some of you.
Originally published in 2014. I thought it worth a re-do, in honor of more grandsons being born and joining the family. This comment was from the last update. 
Lately on Facebook, several versions of what it means to be a little boy’s mama have been circulating. They are touching, and bring a smile to your face, a touch of nostalgia, and perhaps even a tear to your eye. You are exhorted to have lots of energy, be ready to put up with bloody noses and reptiles in the house, see movies you don’t like, and various other true things.
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I don’t often indulge in reflection… but when I do, well, y’all are welcome to come along.  Decades of living with one foot in a flip-flop and the other in a wingtip lends itself to a rather odd set of life-skills and friendships.
Tonight I celebrate a series of Trumpian winnamins with a comfy cigar, and hat-tip at sunset to all y’all.  Having lived every.single.line of these two songs, and still planning on sliding in sideways to the pearly gates: ‘wow, whatta ride‘, well, no greater love. True.

Historians tell us that the predecessor of the Mother’s Day holiday was the spring festival honoring mother goddesses.

In ancient Greece, the spring festival honored Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of the gods and goddesses.

Cybele was honored in Roman festivals. This Roman celebration, known as Hilaria, lasted for three days – from March 15 to 18, and began several hundred years before Christ was born.

England observes “Mothering Sunday”, observed on the fourth Sunday in Lent. It is possible that the ceremonies to honor Cybele were adopted by the early Church in honor of Mary, Mother of Christ.

In seventeenth century England, young men and women would bring small gifts to their mothers in observance of this day. This British holiday would not carry over to America. One explanation is that life on the American frontier was simply too harsh to take time out for this celebration. Some also believe this conflicted with rigid Puritan beliefs. It would be several centuries later before Americans redesigned their own day dedicated to the memory of their mothers. (more…)

I read a comment not too long ago, perhaps here, perhaps at Stella’s place, about why we spend so much more time with family in the fall. Speculation was that we turn more to each other as we leave warm weather behind and come inside for the cold season to come. Whatever our reasons, we do seem to spend more family time together this time of year.
Thanksgiving will be here soon. It’s our family’s epic culinary adventure. We usually have a gathering of 40-50 people, extended family, some friends, occasionally someone brings an acquaintance who is away from home for the holiday.
We have the dinner at my brother’s and sister’s  in law house out in the country. They have a large lot, and the past few years my SIL has had a bouncy house set up for the kids, which is great fun for them, and great for the adults too, as it really keeps them occupied while we are still in food stupor.
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“Seek first to understand, then to be understood”.

1.) First, please READ THIS ENTIRE THREAD – and the full context of any discussion thread you wish to participate in. Skipping to the comments to express an opinion without reading the content of the discussion is not helpful.
Often, unfortunately very often, we find many of the points injected into comments are already outlined in the construct of the thread itself. -or- Questions asked while the answers are in the primary post.
2.) STAY ON TOPIC – please do not post something unrelated to the specific matter and content of the thread subject. There is a ALWAYS a daily open thread available for any subject you feel should get attention. Never place unrelated, “O/T”, or “Off Topic” comments on a thread unrelated to the topic. It is not ok to say: “sorry, O/T but”… or any iteration therein.
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Joe Dan Gorman is back with his latest edition of Intellectual Froglegs. Enjoy:

Visit Website HERE

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There’s a great deal of interest in the solar eclipse happening today throughout the U.S.  Here’s an open discussion thread for anything pertaining to the eclipse:

NASA also has an eclipse countdown clock and Live Webcast

SEE HERE

A brief note about political violence from an observer of modern political history.
Many people are familiar with the linear political terms left and right.  Left equals Democrat world-views and Right equals Republican world-views.  On the left we discuss progressives, liberals etc.  On the right we discuss conservatives, etc.
In terms of a political continuum as you travel further left the governmental influence over the individual increases.
The further left, the larger government.  Socialism eventually gives way to totalitarianism and communism, full control by government.
On the same continuum if you travel rightward, a constitutional republic eventually gives way to the absence of government and you arrive at anarchy.  Visually it looks like this:

However, the end result of both Totalitarianism and Anarchy is conflict.  Total control by government over the individual is antithetical to freedom; the human condition has historically yearned to be free.  Additionally, within a social system lacking any governing rules and regulations, amid anarchy where only the strong can survive, natural states of human disposition lead to tribalism and therein ultimately, conflict.  (See Animal Farm)
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