The Best Paragraph I've Read...

Not Everyone Wants A Buc-ee's In their Community??? Who's Right In this Colorado Gas Station Fight? A Billionaire's Involved! Is this an Abundance or NIMBY or Western Land Issue? Who Will Win?

The Best Paragraph I've Read:The Buc-ee’s representatives tried to outline the planfor about 300 locals packed into the cafeteria at Palmer Lake Elementary School on Dec. 3. But they were met with jeers. “We don’t want your Buc-ee’s, we don’t need your Buc-ee’s, we don’t desire your Beaver Nuggets,” lifelong Palmer Lake resident Alexandria Olivier shouted from the front, waving her arms angrily as the crowd applauded.This paragraph comes from the Wall Street Journal. The article is titled: "The 'Cable Cowboy' Battles a Giant Gas Station for the Soul of the West." The article is written by Jim Carlton. You can read the full article here.Zac & Don discuss the fight over Buc-ee's trying to build along a Colorado Highway. They discuss the issues along the lines of the Abundance and NIMBY Movements. They also wonder how the issue gets settled.

We're Reading Lonesome Dove! How Can A Book Be this Good While Little Seems to Be Happening? How Accurate Are Character Behaviors & Thoughts? Zac & Don Break Down Part I. Plot Spoilers Discussed.

Zac & Don are reading Lonesome Dove. This week they reflect on the first third of the book. They wonder how a book can be so interesting while very little seems to be happening. They also wonder how authentic the characters are to those who lived in Texas during the late 19th century. They also try and speculate why a book written in the 1980's has been picking up in sales across the country recently.

Elon Musk's New Political Party! Is America Ready to Support A 3rd Party? What's the Best Strategy? Is Musk the Right Leader With Right Focus? Mark Cuban? Are there Better Ways to Impact Politics?

The Best Paragraph I've Read:Perot was the most successful third-party candidate in modern history. You helped run his campaigns and build the Reform Party. What advice do you have for Musk when it comes to building a new party?My basic advice is: Go to rehab and then focus on creating a new political party from a position of seriousness, not of anger, not of retribution, not of retaliation. It’s a very significant mission. You’re going to be asking millions of people to volunteer, to assist you to accomplish that and to support your activities, and they need a serious leader, not somebody who’s flamboyant.This paragraph comes from an interview on Politico.com. The interview is titled: "Advice for Elon Musk from the Most Successful Third-Party Campaign in Modern History." The Interview is conducted by Catherine Kim. You can read the full interview here.Zac & Don are joined by their good friend Kevin Kopec. The three discuss whether Elon Musk's new America Party has any chance of making an impact. They discuss the challenges that third parties have in getting established. They also wonder if Elon Musk is the right guy to lead the party and how does a third party even begin to make an impact politically.

Are America's Kids the "Sickest Generation in History"? Will Eliminating Food Chemicals Save them? Does Exercise Need Promotion? What's Better: Kids Eating Unhealthy School Lunch or Not Eating At All?

The Best Paragraph I've Read:"President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the healthsecretary, set forth their vision on Thursday for how to “make America healthy again” with the release of an expansive report on a crisis of chronic disease in children. The report lays the blame on ultra processed foods, chemical exposures, stress, lack of physical activity and excessive use of prescription drugs, including antidepressants. The product of a presidential commission led by Mr. Kennedy, the report paints a bleak picture of American children, calling them “the sickest generation in American history.”This paragraph comes from the New York Times. The article is titled: "Kennedy and Trump Paint Bleak Picture of Chronic Disease in U.S. Children." The authors are Sheryl Gay Stolberg & Dani Blum. You can read the full article here:https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/us/politics/kennedy-trump-maha-report.htmlZac & Don discuss whether today's generation are the sickest generation in history. They wonder whether our problem stems from the processed foods we eat or the lack of regular physical exercise. They also discuss the school lunch conundrum - is it better to have kids eat even if it's unhealthy food?The follow article & podcast are also discussed on this episode:MAHA Has a Pizza ProblemMcDonalds Broke My Heart

What's a Genius? Specialist or Well Rounded Skills? Can Athletes, Ballerinas, and Toilet Scrubbers Be Geniuses? Should We Excuse Geniuses for Being Jerks & Aloof? Were Jobs, Darwin, Leonardo Geniuses?

The Best Paragraph I've Read:"Let’s say there’s another pandemic. This time, a lethal disease spreads through contact with other people’s fecal matter. Precision toilet cleaning becomes a matter of life and death. In the wake of this pandemic, an aptitude test—callit the T.I.Q.—is developed to measure one’s ability to rotate brushes three-dimensionally inside holes. Kids who score highly are trained for the Toilet-Cleaning Olympiad, meant to keep the citizenry battle-ready and internationally competitive. Eventually, the world crowns a toilet-cleaningchampion—not surprisingly, someone with an off-the-charts T.I.Q. This person is the very best at a skill that is crucial for the survival of humanity. Are they a genius?"This paragraph comes from the New Yorker. The article is titled: "So You Want to Be A Genius." The article is written by S.C. Cornell. You can read the full article here:https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/06/23/the-genius-myth-helen-lewis-book-reviewZac & Don discuss what genius is. Can they be recognized in society? They wonder if a genius is a specialist or have multiple skills. Can genius be taught to non geniuses?