Have you ever handed a kid (or anyone born after 1995‚ really) a rotary phone? Yes‚ it's fun to watch them figure out how to make a call‚ but it's also nice to see them marvel at the sheer heft of the receiver. One blow to the head with it could kill a man. Try that with an iPhone. As we open our latest Amazon packages to retrieve the plastic doodads inside‚ it's easy to forget that the world used to be full of such sturdy‚ functional objects‚ designed to last for decades‚ if not generations. They worked‚ dependably and with a minimum of fuss‚ and if they stopped working‚ they were worth repairing.A solid metal canister in a pleasingly tubular shape‚ evocative of 1950s sci-fi robots and rockets. This shape disappeared along with the L when it was discontinued in 1979‚ replaced by an ugly‚ boxy chassis‚ in my opinion a design catastrophe on par with BMW's decision to shrink the kidney grille in the mid-'90s.I never owned the above Electrolux canister vacuum cleaner‚ but I had the privilege of using it for almost a decade of summers. I took its photograph long before I ever imagined I'd be writing this tribute. I took the picture because I wanted to remember it. It belongs to a summer cottage we used to rent in Maine every summer. Charming but ramshackle‚ not winterized‚ of course. When you mounted the wooden stairs‚ the whole house creaked. Beams of the light peeked through spaces between the rough wooden planks of the wall. We loved it. It had been in the family of the current owners since a great-grandfather built it himself back in the 1910s. Our landlords were frugal in the typical Yankee manner‚ and the house looked as if nobody had spent a penny on it since the Clinton administration. The bathrooms were cramped and swampy‚ and the house was decorated in classic cabin decor: a typewritten phone list from 1989‚ shelves bulging with water-damaged Reader's Digest condensed books‚ a non-functional 1990s TV on a pressboard cart also holding a DVD player with a "Jurassic Park" disc halfway inserted. I don't mind rustic‚ but the thrift-store clutter sometimes got to me. One day I went on a bit of a cleaning jihad. I put the books in some boxes and hid them in the attic‚ replacing them with my own. I managed to shove the TV into a tiny downstairs broom closet. I swept the floors.The small common area had a faded‚ discolored Ikea area rug. It really tied the room together‚ as Jeff Lebowski used to say. I had the urge to vacuum‚ and that's when I stumbled upon it. An ancient vacuum cleaner‚ crammed between some old window screens and a polyester comforter in a closet in the downstairs bedroom. I almost didn't bother getting it out. At home I had become a Dyson snob‚ convinced by the marketing that the Dyson represented a paradigm shift in carpet-cleaning. This despite the evidence of my hands‚ how flimsy and plasticky the Dyson felt as I pushed it‚ like a children's toy. It was supposed to be extra adept at siphoning up animal hair‚ although I wasn't sure I could see a difference. But I wanted to believe. I had little faith in the domestic relic before me. But when I plugged it in and turned it on‚ I noticed the excellent suction immediately. I could feel the vibrations traveling up the fabric hose and into the nicely worn handle I gripped. The floor attachment seemed to clamp to the rug like a magnet‚ and it provided just enough resistance as I pushed it to convey a reassuring sense of effectiveness. Add to that the satisfying crackle of crumbs and sand and who knows what debris violently raptured up to their eternal rest inside the canister. Vacuuming soon became one of my favorite rituals. It cleared my head. It was great first thing in the morning‚ just before afternoon cocktails‚ or late night after dinner before a solitary cigarette on the porch. People coming over were a reason to vacuum‚ as was a rare afternoon of solitude. As you can see‚ it's an Electrolux model L‚ in white with avocado green accents. The L was the "economy" version of the G‚ but by today's standard's the build quality is deluxe. A solid metal canister in a pleasingly tubular shape‚ evocative of 1950s sci-fi robots and rockets. This shape disappeared along with the L when it was discontinued in 1979‚ replaced by an ugly‚ boxy chassis‚ in my opinion a design catastrophe on par with BMW's decision to shrink the kidney grille in the mid-'90s.There is ingenious cord storage on the back‚ a metal halo you wrap the cord around. The G has an automatic cord-winder‚ but I prefer doing it myself anyway.I'm far from the only one to be charmed by this appliance‚ as I discovered during a bracing foray into the Electrolux enthusiast community. I admit a I felt a twinge of superiority when I read the first 3‚000-word post on power nozzle pigtail connectors‚ but now I get it. These machines inspire an affection very few of today's mass-produced goods can. In fact‚ I'm thinking of moving on from the Miele C3 we currently own. I've got my eye on the perfect upgrade.

The “who’s more racist?” finger-pointing between political pundits on the left and right gives the impression the first words a black person utters after exiting the voting booth are “I feel seen.” It is easy to see why desiring personal validation from politicians is fool’s gold if you think about our political system as a construction project rather than a therapy session. Constructing a building requires a plan‚ a builder‚ and tools. To the extent that electoral politics impacts public policy‚ it can be viewed similarly. Skin color is not a value. Melanin is not a principle. When voters forget that‚ crafty politicians take advantage of them. That means the people who are most effective in our system must already have a blueprint in mind before they ever go searching for a person they believe can “build” according to their specifications. In a certain sense‚ citizens use voting as a tool to select politicians who become our “tools” in the quest to construct the type of society we believe leads to human flourishing. One reason affirmation and (superficial) identity politics are such a corrosive combination is that they allow candidates to use their membership in a particular group to cover for political positions that are not part of their supporters’ blueprints. One clear example of this is how progressive women‚ often self-identified feminists‚ use the threat of sexism to appeal to female voters‚ then take office and prioritize the demands of men who dress as women. The female hosts and pundits on MSNBC‚ CNN‚ and ESPN know they must submit to the delusions of Rachel Levine and Lia Thomas if they want to keep their jobs and social standing. I have heard social commentators on both sides of the aisle claim that all politics is identity politics‚ noting that outreach to conservative evangelicals — who are disproportionately white — is no different from engaging ethnic minority groups. The big difference is that religious affiliation serves as a proxy for specific values and political interests. Evangelicals support traditional marriage and abortion restrictions because both are tied to a biblical worldview on creation‚ reproduction‚ family‚ and human dignity. Judging by the cultural critics who practice affirmation politics‚ the only value that a critical mass of black voters embrace is opposition to racism. Given our nation’s history‚ you can understand why this would be the case. But the truth is that we’re not in the 1940s any more‚ an obvious fact given how elastic the definition of “racism” has become and how flippantly people toss out terms like “white supremacy.” The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave $1 million to sponsor a training program established to “dismantle racism” in mathematics. The curriculum’s creators claim that “white supremacy culture” shows up in the classroom when students are required to show their work and the focus is on getting the right answer. Words that once invoked images of “Colored Only” signs and burning crosses are also routinely attached to pro-life laws‚ parental rights‚ and the nuclear family. The people who speak this way do so because they believe that accusations of racism activate a Pavlovian defensive response within the average black person that leaves him susceptible to manipulation. This is the danger of affirmation politics. Skin color is not a value. Melanin is not a principle. When voters forget that‚ crafty politicians take advantage of them. One of the clearest examples of this phenomenon occurred when Barack Obama was first elected president in 2008. Excitement to vote for the first black president was palpable in the black community and certainly in Washington‚ D.C.‚ which for years was known as “Chocolate City.” Obama won 95% of the black vote‚ including many poor and working-class adults in the city. These voters were the people who benefited most from the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program‚ the only federally funded voucher in the country. Students receive up to $13‚500 to attend a private school in D.C.‚ a figure far below what the city spends per pupil. So how did the president reward his most loyal supporters? By making the elimination of that program one of his highest priorities when he took office. He sent his daughters to Sidwell Academy‚ where tuition was $40‚000‚ but moved to kill vouchers for families making an average of $26‚000 per year. Thankfully Republicans in Congress blocked Obama’s efforts. President Trump pledged to expand the program. Obama and his progressive compatriots have no problem consigning poor black kids to schools where few students are reading at grade level‚ all while passing themselves off as champions for the marginalized and downtrodden. The notion that black people can’t vote Republican because the party is racist is not based on a universal law or political principle. Democrats have their own problems on race – especially when it comes to the white voters who make up 64% of their electorate. CNN has no problem saying that angry white men are the biggest threat in the country. The Daily Beast has no trouble railing against killer “Karens.” Several news outlets ran articles in 2016 berating the 53% of white women who voted for Donald Trump. Joy Reid feels comfortable claiming that white evangelicals see nonwhite Christian conservatives as “fraudulent Americans” on MSNBC. And yet‚ white liberals from New York to Los Angeles continue to vote for a party that is openly hostile to them. But at least for them‚ it makes some sense. White liberals support the party’s three top priorities: all things related to sexual orientation and gender identity‚ abortion‚ and climate change. Many black progressives support the same things. But there are also millions of black working-class men‚ churchgoing seniors‚ and suburban moms who prioritize good schools‚ safe streets‚ and better jobs. They should not allow their feelings and emotions to get in the way of acquiring the “tools” they need to create a better future for themselves and their children. The GOP has serious work to do to earn the votes of black voters‚ but political fragility is a bad construction strategy. Politicians don’t show up in our largest cities to challenge progressive policies‚ and many conservative pundits seem just as hell-bent on inflaming racial tensions as their leftist counterparts. Allowing someone else’s ignorance to dictate your political calculus is unwise. It also reveals a poor self-image‚ despite all of the public declarations of “black girl magic” and “black excellence.” Truly secure people are not easily moved by what strangers think. Elected officials who say‚ “Vote for me‚ I look like you!” love voters who are more motivated by feelings than interests. It’s time to teach them that’s no longer a winning strategy.

Last week‚ I noted that top technologists were increasingly anti-Sam Altman‚ the wannabe trillionaire behind OpenAI and Worldcoin who acts like he’s auditioning to be the Antichrist. Today’s proof: After much grumbling‚ Elon Musk is suing Altman and OpenAI‚ the company he once helped start to – you guessed it – foster the open development of artificial intelligence. Instead‚ Altman outfoxed Elon‚ turning the firm into a lever with which he hoped‚ behind the scenes at the loftiest levels of technological geopolitics‚ to move the world.But the bad news is that too many Americans‚ and way too many technologists‚ still think that we can have our cake and eat it too‚ spiritually speaking‚ making a god of “truth” instead of humbling and quieting our passions and fears to the point where we are prepared to hear and receive the truth of God.The lawsuit is‚ therefore‚ a landmark in the ever-higher-stakes battle to – as Google disarmingly describes the arms race – “organize the world’s information.” Last summer‚ I warned on X‚ “The West is barreling toward a Master Feed model‚ not just in apps but all life‚ where he who controls rank‚ value‚ weight‚ and placement” in that feed “governs” the digitized country. In short‚ this feed eats you‚ wherever‚ whenever you are – a power so total that even well-meaning technologists at the top of the food chain feel compelled to a battle royale over its possession and use. To make sense of the magnitude of this struggle‚ many Americans of a certain age are apt to reach for a "Lord of the Rings" metaphor. But that quasi-Christian mythology fails to capture the polytheistic dynamic defining today’s technological "Clash of the Titans." Here we have a struggle among the robot avatars of rival pagan gods. For years‚ wild-eyed nerds have insisted that AI technicians are actually building a god. They’re wrong‚ but it’s not hard to understand why – the only source of human authority over a machine as powerful as the automated general simulators we call “artificial intelligence” is religious authority‚ imparted by the divine. Merely human-generated laws are now insufficient to speak authoritatively about the limits and purposes of apex technology.The good news for America is that the most important laws we can pass concerning digital tech are the kinds of laws that best accord with our Constitution – laws that protect our implicit rights to keep and bear computational devices and to use them to freely associate with one another‚ instead of picking winners and losers or drawing arbitrary lines and limits.But the bad news is that too many Americans‚ and way too many technologists‚ still think that we can have our cake and eat it too‚ spiritually speaking‚ making a god of “truth” instead of humbling and quieting our passions and fears to the point where we are prepared to hear and receive the truth of God. No matter how well-meaning‚ this flawed intention is displayed dramatically in the war over OpenAI. Musk’s great alternative to Altman’s automated supervillain routine is Grok‚ his own AI ostensibly dedicated to – worshiping at the altar of – truth. “In the coming weeks‚” Elon recently announced‚ “Grok will summarize these mammoth laws before they are passed by Congress‚ so you know what their real purpose is.” Who could debate against that! But what’s at stake plays out on a spiritual level higher than that of debate – at the level of our ultimate identity‚ meaning‚ and purpose. “Every argument has a counter-argument‚” wrote St. Gregory Palamas amidst the titanic philosophical debates of his day. “But who can argue against life?”It may feel like salvation from political slavery to possess an AI that can tell us what our ostensible representatives won’t (or can’t) about the laws they manufacture without our knowledge or understanding. But the moment we accept an AI as our source of truth‚ we give in to the spiritual temptation to start arguing ourselves into believing that AI is‚ and should be‚ the source of truth that we must trust! This AI will become the Master Feed that everyone from Musk to Altman to Google to Sam Bankman-Fried has decided is the ultimate prize in this world. An AI that doesn’t hate us? One programmed not to lyingly catechize us with woke doctrines? One we don’t have to be afraid to ask a simple question? It’s easy to get behind all that. But the discernment required to survive the spiritual warfare of our digital age isn’t about what’s easy. It’s about finding the strength in God required to do what’s hardest of all – watchfully guard our deep and mysterious hearts against the subtle infiltration of bogus substitutes for God’s love. There’s no more insidiously convincing would-be substitute today than an AI that promises to treat you just the way you deserve. Giving in to the temptation to make the biggest decisions about the most important things based on what we think we deserve is a colossal‚ even deadly‚ spiritual defeat – a lazy‚ prideful‚ gluttonous act of will that reduces us to utter servility in our inner and outer life. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. What better intention could there be than an AI that can save us from all the bad AIs – from all falsehood and error? Only one Savior can do that‚ and He expects from us a strenuous fight to the end – not the entry of a prompt or the push of a button.

'Vengeance'Whenever the Trump era finally ends‚ one thing I won't miss is the spectacle of liberal magazine writers bravely venturing to the heart of flyover country to embed themselves among the savage MAGA tribe.When B.J. Novak's "Vengeance" appeared in summer 2022‚ I assumed it would be the feature film version of these useless‚ self-flattering travelogues. When I finally watched it months later‚ I almost turned it off 10 minutes in‚ repelled by the opening rooftop party scene in which Novak and musician John Mayer (playing himself) smugly trade notes on their "dating" lives. I stuck with it‚ though‚ and soon realized my reaction was the intended one. Novak's treatment of his own class is pitiless. The movie also cured me of my allergy to Ashton Kutcher‚ who's perfect as small-town music impresario Quinten Sellers. Like Novak's protagonist‚ Ben‚ a shallow "New Yorker" writer hoping to spin a rural West Texas tragedy into a successful “dead white girl” podcast‚ Quinten is an outsider‚ an Ivy League graduate too faux-humble to mention his alma mater by name. Unlike Ben‚ Quinten has learned to adapt to his surroundings with a sort of hipster cowboy look that nods to local convention while still setting himself apart. What our self-presentation reveals — or conceals — is an ongoing concern in Novak's comedic Western noir. Sometimes appearances keep us from fully understanding one another‚ as we learn when a chubby‚ line-dancing local proves more knowledgeable about Chekhov's plays than the name-dropping pseud condescending to her. And sometimes our own appearance keeps us from understanding ourselves. In pursuing this latter notion‚ "Vengeance" achieves surprising depth and shows a remarkable willingness to skewer the likes of its director and audience."Vengeance" is available on all the usual streamers. Vintage Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' clips Getty Images/NBC"They have abdicated their moral authority!" That was Stephen Colbert last night‚ haranguing his audience about the Supreme Court's decision to hear Trump's immunity claim. Anyone still bothering to check in on late-night talk shows knows this kind of stuff is standard. It's tempting to say it all went downhill after 2016‚ but the truth is‚ it's been a long‚ slow decline.By the time Conan O'Brien finally landed the "Tonight Show" in 2008‚ it was hardly the prestigious job it once was. Cable had cut into its audience‚ of course‚ while the dawning of social media and YouTube hinted at further decimation. Some 15 years after O'Brien had his dream cruelly destroyed by the fiendish machinations of Jay Leno‚ one has to wonder whether all the public angst was worth it. Compared to its heyday in the pre-digital era‚ the venerable TV institution and its competitors are fighting over scraps.To retain any relevance‚ today's late-night host must pander to an increasingly fickle and distracted public‚ resulting in a garish and frenetic jumble of would-be viral gimmicks‚ toothless promo interviews‚ and shrill political humor. To recall what has been taken from us‚ we need only visit johnnycarson.com and play one of the many vintage clips on offer. Just like that‚ we're nestled in our Barcalounger‚ tab pulled on a fresh can of Schmidt's‚ as the inimitable Don Rickles waltzes onto Johnny's set to “surprise” his good friend Frank Sinatra with a kiss on the lips and news of an “associate” from Jersey City: “He started his car with your album on and now he's a highway.” The easy‚ unforced banter between the three men lulls you into a contented doze ..."Wake up! 'Carpool Karaoke’? ‘Celebrity Mean Tweets’? What are you talking about? It's 1976 and the TV station signed off an hour ago! Let's get you to bed."

If you're looking for a new Baldur's Gate 3 mod to spice up your worm-infested life‚ look no further than this new Gunslinger one. Ranged power‚ innovation‚ and the alluring spark of danger are the ingredients in this homebrew archetype used in Critical Role's first campaign‚ and now you can use it in BG3 as a standalone class. Continue reading New Baldur’s Gate 3 mod adds Critical Role’s Gunslinger DnD sublass MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds‚ BG3 mods‚ Baldur's Gate 3 classes

Cato argues the prompt release of the records is necessary‚ because lawmakers are debating warrantless surveillance without knowledge of past abuses.

In May 2023‚ DeSantis signed legislation banning the funding of DEI programs.

In a statement accompanying the cease-and-desist letter‚ the New York attorney general called the executive order ‘transphobic and blatantly illegal.’

John Kirby Walks Back a Biden Claim in RECORD Time (This Time About Where Aid Will Be Airdropped)

Government Won't Help You: NY Couple's Dream Home Occupied by Squatter Who Has More Rights Than They Do