The elected officials have to know and probably devised the plan in the first place. There are increasingly more people calling for the resignation of our governor (Walz). State employees are reporting

Absolutely. It's disheartening to watch this fraud as so many middle class families are struggling for just their basic necessities.

Yes, indeed.

Unfortunately, it appears America takes fraud to entirely new heights. Some estimate trillions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted. This might explain a large part of the multi-trillion dollar deficit.

It's insane how deep this fraud goes and, I believe, it's going on in almost every State and at a Federal level. Getting Americans to just agree that the fraud is theft and is bad is an uphill battle.

The agencies and politicians absolutely are benefiting. On the surface they benefit from the votes and are very likely pocketing a portion of the tax dollars as well. I read a very interesting article

Thank you, it was a nice couple of days of celebrating for us. I made ribeye steaks on the grill Christmas Eve and then two whole chickens for Christmas dinner. The weather was warm enough (30-40 degrees)

The cost of living is crazy in the Twin Cities too but nothing like the West coast. I always feel like everything is on sale when I travel back to Ohio—groceries are about 1/3rd less. Many counties around

I'm very bullish as well about 2026. I think BTC may surprise a lot of people next year and AI and other emerging tech could be more like rocket fuel than the "bubble" that some are calling it.

What a cool coffee shop! I love the exposed beams and it seems the atmosphere is perfect. I used to really like a good dark roast made in a pour-over (drip) but have been gravitating more towards medium

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you & Merry Christmas!

Thank you! Yes, I'm glad more people are realizing the value of this place beyond monetary rewards. Sentiment is always low when token prices drop but they've always rebounded eventually. Merry Christmas!

Yes, we can never forget the light! Thank you for these kind words, Nancy. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! Enjoy the time with family. Hugs to you!

I was so happy to find this poem, it carries so much weight. It'd be perfect to read at an open mic. He's one of my favs too, his writing is captivating and has so many layers. I guess I should have said

Thank you! I appreciate it. Happy Holidays to you!

Thank you!

You're welcome and I thank you for the friendship, thought-provoking posts, and that amazing review you wrote for my last book. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Hugs to you!

Yes, I just wish everything wasn't pushed to the extremes but that is pretty typical for the kind of transitional period we're living through. Thank you & Merry Christmas!

Thank you Jay! I appreciate it. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Thank you, I feel the same about you! I had no idea Tolkien was born in South Africa. I had always assumed he was born and raised in the UK. He's one of my favorite authors, the Lord of the Rings has always