At my first-ever cross country meet, and I have to say, it’s nice how this enables ME to get a workout also as I dash around to different point in the course. (Run, CHEER, run, CHEER.) Better than standing in bleachers for hours.

"The Oct. 7 Hamas attacks were not solely or even primarily aimed at the innocent civilians who were raped, tortured, kidnapped or killed. The larger target was the two-state solution." From Walter Russell Mead The Wall Street Journal Exactly right. Don't give Hamas what they want. wsj.com/articles/team-…

My boys had so much fun last year with their State Fair “monster gardens” (macabre fairy gardens) that they did another round. Just dropped them off. Spiders, soldiers, and skulls! Enjoy, fairgoers.

Some of this has been well known to many of us for a while, but still pretty startling to see it laid out in this detail.

Yes, virtue comes for all of us in time. babylonbee.com/news/man-not-s…

Returned home from a couple of pleasant days at Liberty Fund. A woodpecker had made a nest in my bedroom balcony. Figures.

I think Ramesh Ponnuru highlights an important point here. Trump is not acting strategically. His support for abortion goes beyond cynical vote-mongering; he wants to do this. From National Review: nationalreview.com/corner/trump-s…

“We’ve got tons of kale entries this year,” remarked a State Fair official as I checked in my vegetables. “Very popular category.” Indeed, the kale shelf was quite full. Mine is pretty beautiful this year, but we’ll see how it fares against cutthroat competition.

So I watched the JD Vance video prepared to see something disreputable and… what? Why are people talking about this? He comes in, orders doughnuts, and makes small talk. I am definitely never running for office.

(Fantasy) draft day, and it’s a scramble in the Lu household as everyone claims their preferred device. With seven people drafting under one roof, things can get a little tricky.

So I read John Daniel Davidson’s John Daniel Davidson book, Pagan America. It starts with a bang and ends with a whimper; mostly it’s an exercise in therapeutic panic. I explain here Word on Fire: wordonfire.org/articles/john-…

After more than a decade’s worth of visits to the State Fair “Moo Booth,” I walk into the trivia game, and what do you know? It turns out I’ve learned a few things about cows. My Idaho-farmer forbears would be so pleased.

Many thanks to Helen Dale (not on your team, but always fair) for a kind mention in this very entertaining column on sport, Australian fraternity, and breakdancing. From Law & Liberty: lawliberty.org/merit-inclusio…

The links between paganism, natural law, and liberalism are far more complicated than Davidson suggests: on.wof.org/3XtUklX

The question "why are they still here?" has sometimes been presented as the root of antisemitism, and there are reasons for that. But I actually think Jews, Christians, and probably all faith groups should periodically ponder the question, "Why ARE we still here?"

At the risk of preening, I just have to say, not all of us "used to admire" Carlson. thefp.com/p/pseudo-schol…?

If you think you're having a tough week, just remember Candace has to figure out how to one-up Tucker.

I get some frowns/pursed lips when I reference sons playing football. I can take it, but just saying: If you've read Jonathan Haidt et al on kids these days, why wouldn't you be happy if a boy prefers football to Fortnite? Do I want his face in a playbook, or a Smartphone? Consider.