Monday

Carnival in Rio, photo by Mauro Pimentel/AFP/Getty Images, posted at theguardian/com:

Today is the 215th anniversary of the birth of America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. Among his many great qualities was elegant prose. Here are examples:
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
“The ballot is stronger than the bullet.”
“No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”
“It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.”
“My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth.” Amen.
And here are the 272 words of the monumental Gettysburg Address:
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Photo from Google Images:

One can take liberalism only so far. Headline from foxbusiness.com: “Jeff Bezos’ move to Florida saving him hundreds of millions in taxes.” He left DC.

Amusing liberals vs liberals headline from FN: “Climate activists rage after 21 arrested at Biden campaign HQ.”

Among the many celebrations of February 12th, it’s National Poop Day, which should make this renowned critic very happy. Photo from GI:

My thanks to Adam and Sharon for inviting me to their home to watch the Super Bowl. The food was delicious.

One month without hemorrhoid bleeding. Yay!

Not much action at the Anti-Inflation Book Shop in the calm before the storm. My thanks to the woman who bought a Driver’s Manual in Russian and to the one who purchased Flavored Vinegars by Michael Chiarello & Penelope Wisner, photos by Daniel Proctor; and to Gordie, who donated a hardcover thriller. Here’s the latter beside Herbie, another of my frequent patrons:

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