It's not SOCIAL and it's not MEDIA

Social media is like a vampire, not a hobby.

It is not entertainment.

Look at them as the vampire that exists to suck your energy and attention for someone else's economic benefit.

As soon as you understand that (and believe it), you use them less. 

Your anxiety will drop.

Here are a dozen evidence-based reasons why letting young children (especially under ~12–13) freely watch and use social media on cell phones is harmful.

1. Increased risk of depression and anxiety Social media use is consistently linked to higher rates of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and internalizing problems. Kids spending more than about 3 hours a day face roughly double the risk of mental health issues. Effects appear stronger in early adolescence.
2. Poorer self-perception and body image Constant exposure to curated, idealized images and filtered lives drives social comparison. Many adolescents report that social media makes them feel worse about their appearance and self-worth; this starts earlier when access begins young.
3. Sleep disruption Phones in bedrooms or late-night scrolling interfere with sleep onset and quality through blue light, mental stimulation, and notifications. Early smartphone ownership is tied to substantially higher odds of insufficient sleep, which cascades into mood, attention, and physical health problems.
4. Displacement of real-world development Time on social media crowds out free play, outdoor activity, face-to-face conversation, reading, and unstructured exploration—the very experiences that build language, motor skills, social competence, and emotional regulation in young children.
5. Impaired attention and cognitive skills Rapid, algorithm-driven content (short videos, infinite scroll) trains the brain toward constant novelty-seeking. This is associated with poorer focus, working memory challenges, and lower academic achievement, including declines in reading, memory, and language measures.
6. Addictive design and compulsive use Platforms are engineered with variable rewards, autoplay, and personalized feeds that exploit developing reward systems. Children’s prefrontal cortex (impulse control) is immature, making them especially vulnerable to compulsive checking and difficulty disengaging.
7. Exposure to harmful content Young children encounter age-inappropriate material—violence, sexualized content, self-harm or eating-disorder promotion, cyberhate, and misinformation—far more easily than parents realize, even with basic settings.
8. Cyberbullying and social aggression Peer-to-peer harassment, exclusion, and public shaming occur frequently online. Victims experience lasting emotional harm; younger kids have fewer coping skills and less ability to contextualize or report it effectively.
9. Risk of online exploitation and predatory contact Social platforms and messaging features create pathways for grooming, unwanted sexual solicitation, and data harvesting. Young children lack the judgment and skepticism needed to recognize and avoid these dangers.
10. Behavioral and externalizing problems Higher social media use correlates with increased aggression, externalizing behaviors, irritability, and in some cases self-injurious thoughts. It can also reinforce attention problems and emotional dysregulation.
11. Physical health costs Sedentary scrolling contributes to lower physical activity, higher obesity risk, eye strain/myopia, and musculoskeletal issues. Early phone ownership has been linked to elevated obesity odds alongside sleep problems.
12. Interference with parent–child relationships and “technoference” When kids (or parents) are absorbed in phones, responsive interaction declines. This reduces the quality of attachment, modeling of emotional regulation, and opportunities for co-regulation that young children need.

These associations come from multiple large meta-analyses, longitudinal studies, and reports from the U.S. Surgeon General and American Academy of Pediatrics. Effects are dose-dependent and stronger with earlier, heavier, and more solitary use. Not every child is equally affected, but the overall pattern of risk is clear and the developing brain is less equipped to handle the intensity and design of modern platforms.

Delaying personal smartphones and unrestricted social media access, using shared devices with co-viewing, setting firm boundaries, and prioritizing real-world activities remains the most protective approach for young children.

He will come for you

Jesus rose from the dead and appeared first to Mary Magdalene.

Mark 16:9 says it plainly.

But later He also appeared to His brother who thought He was crazy.

James. His kid brother. The one who grew up sharing a room with God and didn’t know it.

Think about James for a second. His older brother is Jesus. Not “Jesus the Christ.” Not “Jesus the Savior.” Jesus the guy who worked in the carpenter shop and came home smelling like sawdust and sweat. Jesus who snored. Jesus who ate too fast. Jesus who their mother treated different and James never understood why.

Because Mary kept her mouth shut.

Luke 2:19. She kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Angels showed up at His birth. Shepherds fell on their faces. Wise men brought gold. And Mary told nobody. She just watched her firstborn grow up in a ghetto in Nazareth and kept the secret in her chest like a coal she couldn’t put down.

James didn’t know his brother was God.

He knew his brother was weird.

He knew his mother looked at Jesus different. He knew Joseph moved the whole family to Egypt when they were little and never fully explained why. He knew that one time his parents lost Jesus at the temple and found Him three days later arguing with rabbis like He owned the place. Twelve years old. Already gone.

Then Jesus grew up. Worked the shop. Paid the bills.

Because Joseph died - the Bible doesn’t say when but Joseph disappears from the story - and in Jewish custom the eldest son takes over. So Jesus wasn’t posing for paintings in that carpenter shop. He was feeding His family. Putting bread on the table for His mom and His brothers and sisters in a town so poor Nathanael said “can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Then one day He left.

Walked away from the shop. Walked away from the family. Left James holding the hammer and the bills and the responsibility for a widowed mother.

James was pissed.

Mark 3:21. His own family went to collect Him because they said He was out of His mind. That’s James. That’s the brothers. Showing up to bring the crazy one home before He embarrasses the family worse.

John 7:5. His brethren did not believe in Him.
His own blood. Ate dinner with Him for thirty years. Didn’t believe.

Then Wednesday happened.

The brother James thought was insane got arrested at night by temple guards. Got beaten until His face swelled shut. Got whipped until His back looked like raw meat. Got nailed to wood and hung up on a garbage hill outside the city.

And James had to stand somewhere - maybe in the crowd, maybe at home, maybe hearing it secondhand - and process the fact that the brother he called crazy just died like a criminal.

Three days and nights of silence.

Three days of James sitting with the guilt of every eye roll. Every argument. Every time he told people “I don’t know what’s wrong with Him.” Every time he showed up to drag Jesus home because He was embarrassing the family name.

Then Sunday morning.

Jesus rose. Conquered death. Walked out of the tomb.

He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.

And later He appeared to James.

1 Corinthians 15:7. He appeared to James.

Paul gives us no scene, only the fact: Jesus appeared to His brother. The one who didn’t believe. The one who thought He was crazy. The one who was pissed that He left the family behind.

He showed up and let James see the holes in His hands.

Matthew 28:10. Go tell my brethren. Not my servants. Not my followers. My brethren.

John 20:17. My Father and your Father.  My God and your God.

He rose to the highest position in the universe and His vocabulary didn’t change.

Most men get a promotion and stop returning phone calls. Jesus conquered death and called the brother who doubted Him family.

James went from “He’s out of His mind” to leading the church in Jerusalem.

James went from trying to drag Jesus home to writing a book of the Bible.

James went from skeptic to martyr. They threw him off the temple wall and when he survived the fall they beat him to death with a club.

He died for the brother he once thought was insane.

That’s what happened when Jesus showed up after the resurrection and said brother.

One word.  Changed everything.

He’s not calling you servant today.

He’s not calling you subject.

He’s calling you what He called James.

Brother.

The same James who didn’t believe. Who rolled his eyes. Who showed up to take Him home. Who sat in the dark for three days choking on regret.

He still went to THAT guy.

If He went to James, He’ll come to you.

FACTS of SEPTEMBER

September is the worst month of the year for the S&P 500 going back to 1928, and the last 20 years, with an average return of approximately -0.6% to -0.8%, the lowest-ranked month for performance returns. 

Its down, 55% of the time, including 2020 (-3.9%), 2021 (-4.8%), 2022 (-9.3%), and 2023 (-4.9%).

America's War Within

Dear Muslims: My family and I have decided to move from the US to a Muslim country. We haven't picked which one yet—we're still comparing which one offers the best benefits package. 

All my neighbors want to come too. And my neighbors' neighbors. And all their friends. And their friends' friends. Millions of us will show up with suitcases and a sense of entitlement.

As a large Christian community, we'll need a few small changes: Please start building churches immediately. Real churches, with nice loud bells, the kind that can be heard from the town square. We'll also need for everyone to celebrate Christmas, and to close certain streets once a year for our processions. We may want to gather to pray to our Almighty God on your streets, in your parks, or on the lawns of your mosques. 

We'll be an oppressed minority, so you'll have to be understanding and adapt to our way of life. Every supermarket must stock real pork, ham, chorizo, and bacon. And we're bringing all our dogs, so you'll need dog parks, and you'll have to smile tolerate them we walk them in front of your mosques. We want our women to be able to safely go out alone and wear shorts and tank tops. And when the weather's nice, we men like to go shirtless. We also want to drink alcohol, dance, and place an occasional bet at the horse races. While we're at it, your religious holidays are a bit too much; they could offend the Christian community, so we'd appreciate it if you'd discreetly eliminate them. Thanks. 

In schools and workplaces, our children and employees must be able to wear large crucifixes, say prayers, eat ham sandwiches in the cafeteria, and learn Christian principles without anyone getting criticized. We also demand chapels or Christian prayer rooms in every building, plus translators, because we have no intention of learning Arabic. If any of this is rejected, please send a list of police station addresses so we can report you for discrimination, Christianophobia, racism, and anything we don't like. One more thing: if my kids protest or burn your flag for any reason, please be understanding. I'll be sure to give them a very serious scolding. 

Finally, we all want generous benefits, free housing, phones, free food, and pocket money while we "integrate" over the next three generations. Working is optional, obviously. Be patient with us, you'll get used to it. We thank you in advance for your tolerance and compassion. After all, diversity is our strength! 

Sincerely,

 A Very Reasonable Christian

More Death

An estimated 1,126,000 clinician-provided abortions occurred in the United States in 2025, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute. This total is largely steady compared to 2024 (1,124,000) and marks an increase from previous years.

Here's Slick Willy's daughter talking shit from the bleachers this week..........You can't hate these people enough.........special place in hell for these killers.

If you can’t convince someone to support abortion with bodily rights arguments, try pushing the money angle, Chelsea Clinton told a group of abortion activists Saturday.

CNS News reports Clinton claimed the infamous U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade was a good thing, not only because it gave women the “dignity to make our own choices,” but also because it led to a $3.5 trillion boost to America’s economy.

“It is not a disconnected fact … that American women entering the labor force from 1973 to 2009 added three and a half trillion dollars to our economy. Right?” Clinton said during a “Rise Up for Roe” rally protesting U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

“The net, new entrance of women – that is not disconnected from the fact that Roe became the law of the land in January of 1973,” she continued.

Clinton said the money argument may convince some people to support Roe, which led to the legalized killing of unborn babies for basically any reason up to birth. Since the 1973 ruling, about 60 million unborn babies have been legally aborted in America.

“So, I think, whatever it is that people say they care about, I think that you can connect to this issue,” she said.

“Of course, I would hope that they would care about our equal rights and dignity to make our own choices – but, if that is not sufficiently persuasive, hopefully, some of these other arguments that you’ve expressed so beautifully, will be,” Clinton continued.

Memorize this if you own fixed income

Fixed income securities are subject to increased loss of principal during periods of rising interest rates.

Fixed income investments are subject to various other risks including changes in credit quality, market valuations, liquidity, prepayments, early redemption, corporate events, tax ramifications and other factors.

Retirement is often a Killer...........

Seen it time and time again.

Sit around, eat, watch tv, eat, sit, shuffle to bed.

Repeat.

No one tells them.  No incentive to tell them.

Here are some quotes I found interesting from Dr. Eugster:

…' There are three main techniques to achieving healthy old age, he believes – work, diet and exercise, and of these, number one is work: "Work keeps you healthy. You have to work because it keeps your mind and body active," he says, adding that soon after giving up work on his newsletter at the age of 82, he began to notice a physical decline.

"My mind and body weren't as busy. You must have a purpose in life. If you retire you're a nobody; you make no contribution to society and your health deteriorates," he says.

Retirement, believes Eugster, "is a financial disaster and a health catastrophe." It was never meant to go on as long as it does nowadays, he maintains. The second most important factor in a long and healthy life is nutrition, he says: "What we're eating nowadays is destroying our health. The human race is committing mass suicide by eating too much of the wrong food."

Thirdly, is exercise – take it regularly and make sure it's the kind of exercise that's relevant to your body type, he says. "In old age, no matter how old you are, food and exercise are crucial," says Eugster, adding that he is preparing to publish a book about ageing and, while he hasn't yet decided on a title, he's thinking about calling it, "95 and Loving It!"

He's currently in discussions about the establishment of a fitness training scheme for the elderly. While old age may be associated with problems such as loss of strength, muscle mass, balance or mental agility, Eugster believes these common ailments can be combated with specifically-tailored fitness programmes.

A passionate advocate for training in old age, he believes that the right type of training can be of huge benefit to older people.

Most gyms are targeted at 30-50 year-olds, he says, and don't usually have fitness programmes specifically tailored around problems related to old age. He is now, he says, at the age of 94, considering a potential business opportunity in the fitness coaching sector. Such a training programme for older people would emphasise continuous assessment of their physical strengths and weaknesses and their progress.

Although you may be old, competitive sports keeps both mind and body healthy, he believes. Life is all about challenges, and it's important to always attempt something new, no matter how old you are.

"One should take part in competitive sports at any age – or start a new sport at any age," says Eugster, pointing out that, although he has never run in his life, he is currently preparing for the British Masters Athletics Championships race in Birmingham next August. He will attempt the 100 and 200 metres for men aged 95 and over.

Since no records have yet been set in this age category, Eugster is currently aiming to beat all records set in the lower category, for men aged 90-plus.

And, if you need to be reminded, he himself is living proof of his own adage:

"Anyone's life in advanced years can be dramatically better than they can ever have imagined if they invest in the right type of training."

 

Covid Idiots

Life is strange.   Everbody popping off about telling other people what to do and sometimes they even try to give me advice.  

I always try to remember if they are purebloods, clot-shot free, before listening to any of their nonsense.