In case there are actual replies, this will stop the joke thread from becoming a discussion of chocolate.

If you feel like spending money:

https://www.vosgeschocolate.com/

My wife has had both and prefers https://www.kateweiserchocolate.com/ from Dallas.  They're both good, but I'm not a big chocolate fan, so I'm not sure I'm a judge.

So, nobody wants to talk about Trump’s faux pax on Truth Social? 

For those in a bubble who somehow missed it, he wrote that because of election irregularities in 2020, “all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution” should be set aside and he should be installed as president.

That’s a hard no.  The opening of my oath of enlistment was “I, Brian Flynn, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”.  Trump is looking very much like a domestic enemy right now.

Some want to try to make the case why we should set aside parts of the Constitution? 

The same week 21 people died in Texas in a school shooting, approx 7500 other people died to violent crime of all types, only about 40% of it gun related.  Clearly guns are not the cause of violence anymore than Toyota Corollas are the cause of drunk driving. 

Democrats are too focused on guns.  Let's talk about violence.  What are the causes of violence?  Tell me if I'm full of crap (about this)

1) Disregard for law - this starts at the presidency down.  Law is not viewed as something that makes the country run, it's a tool for those in power.  People reinterpret the law to fit their desire and that's reiterated when progressive DAs make public statements that they won't enforce certain laws.  Well if laws are invalid, then we just do whatever we want, right?

2) Egotism - there's too much self centeredness in the country and that is taught to children by schools and by culture.  Angry with the pretty girls who won't talk to you?  Well obviously the problem is with them, they should be killed, right?  Makes society better if they are.  Or, if you don't choose violence, go ahead and BECOME a pretty girl, there's always pervy teachers ready to help you self mutilate your body.  Screw the rules.

3) Lack of respect - I take it as a basic concept that people who respect others don't kill them.  But somewhere we left the concept of respect being due to every other human and turned it into "comply with my demands or die".  I remember an old Army ad, "Respect is earned, not given".  Was that an echo of the change or a cause of it?  In any case, every person is due respect.  Think of your worst enemy and the answer is not only yes, them too, but yes, especially them too.

What else?

I think very little of the problem is within the purview of the government or politicians to solve.  But as a start, We The People have to start talking about the problem and to some extent that means (Democrat) politicians have to stop talking about guns.  What's the chance they're going to listen and stop screwing this up?

At the risk of being labeled a leftist, pinko, commie faggot, I’m using Fox as a source. I heard about this yesterday and surprised nobody here picked it up

https://www.foxnews.com/media/johns-hopkins-university-study-lockdowns-media-blackout

Some interesting things going on opinion the numbers. In total, lockdowns prevented an average of just 0.2% of deaths overall, while reaking havoc economically, socially, and on mental and physical health. A hidden result, the call out that shutting down non essential businesses like nightclubs and bars was a 10.6% “save”, so that may have been the single thing that pulled the average into the positive.

Many people were opposed to lockdowns on the basis of freedom, but now there is proof based in science too.

Remember when Obama dismissed American Exceptionalism?  This is what he wanted to show to the world. We aren’t special.

Branching because this might be a significant topic.

To clarify - American exceptionalism is not that American is better.   It is that American is different.

The source of the phrase is de Tocqueville in his book Democracy in America. He observed that America was different than any other country in the world and was therefore exceptional.  Better or worse is a judgement, but different can be shown.

But is that still true?  I submit that the corruption of the fanatics, left and right, have reduced us to ordinary. The tendency for leaders to disregard the Constitution and law, then wait for it to be challenged ought to be unthinkable, but it is done all the time.  It’s wrong and it makes us just another country lurching toward despotic rule. The rule of law protects us from despots, but our passion destroys the law.

Once upon a time, I did solemnly swear that I would support and defend the Constitution of the United States.  That includes supporting and defending the Republic which is embodied by it. 

The bill has been passed, now we can read what's in it.  A few things I noted:

There is a aviation component to this, but only for funding a biofuel substitute for airplane.  Obviously someone knows next to nothing about engine certifications, chemistry, mechanics, etc.

I searched for "bridge" to see what was set up for replacing bridges like the one Biden signed the bill on.  The text contains 3 references to the word "bridge", but 2 of them referred to dental care 

We know the Supreme Court declined to suspend the Texas heartbeat law.  To me, that's a good thing.

From a legal standpoint, I'm not a lawyer, but I can think.  To me, this law comes back to a 10th Amendment issue whereas the Left will try to make it a 14th Amendment "right to privacy", which is almost laughable given the state of things today.

This is different that R v. W because here, Texas has affirmed the State's right to define life.  Effectively, they have said that in the State of Texas, it is known that life exists when a heartbeat is detected.  As a consequence, once life is established, the unborn child becomes a citizen of the State and is due all legal protections, including not being murdered. 

To break this, the Left will have to argue that a State does not have the right define life, which to me seems to be a very tall order.  The Constitution is completely silent on the issue of when life begins, which means it falls to the States to handle. 

Hearing there was a walkout yesterday over vaccine mandates?  That controllers shut down center and cancelled hundreds of flights?

Can’t find anything reliable reporting it, they say it was weather.