Walter Williams died on December 1, 2020. Like so many others, I miss his intellect and wisdom.

It’s hard to describe Walter Williams. There were so many facets to his life. Call him a warrior because he was one. I knew him primarily from his writings. However, I watched him on YouTube in debates and discussions with other economists, such as another favorite, Thomas Sowell.

I never referred to him as Dr. Williams, though he did have a doctorate. He seemed like an ordinary guy who wouldn’t care about the title. It was his work, not his credentials, that was so very important. The important part is that he could communicate complex issues in a simplified way and do it with humor. So, he wasn’t pretentious, as others in his position would be.

I’m sure there are those on the left who would either not like him or disagree with him. But, while growing up under the ugliness of Jim Crow, which he fought against, I have no memory of him believing the use of the victim card was ever legitimate. In contrast to the left, he felt free markets were the road to economic justice and fairness.

He criticized public policies he believed were harmful to economic growth and the minority groups they were supposed to benefit. The policies democrats promoted over the last 60 years are the bane to those living a life indebted to those seeking to control the people; they were designed to help the cause of poverty and low educational opportunities but didn’t.

To that end, he would have no use for the Leftist culture today because he believed in freedom, both of the market and, even more, of people. To me, he was a true patriot who loved America and honestly thought it offered all of us hope.

I get tired of reading how Pam Bondi does nothing as Attorney General and that she’s all talk and needs replaced, despite Trump having confidence in her. At the cabinet meeting today, Pam Bondi said the Administration has had 575 lawsuits filed against it this year to date. Turns out to be true, and there’s more. That’s more than every administration going back to Reagan combined.

This is big, she highlighted the administration’s strong track record in court, citing 24 Supreme Court wins and a 92% overall success rate under President Trump. A record and interesting because the SCOTUS opened for actual business in October.

The AG office also defends cases or leads against and for agencies like DHS, HHS, EPA, FBI, ATF, and more. Bondi’s team handles everything from immigration sanctuary city fights to DEI mandate challenges. As best I can tell, there are 12,000 active civil matters pending. There are over 100,000 criminal cases in the federal courts now, and this includes many drug cases as a result of fentanyl cases brought by her office. This totals around 3,300–3,900 indictments in her 10 months in office.

And don’t forget, she’s responsible for legal opinions to all federal agencies, and for the president, no small task. Even bigger, executive orders (EOs) must include a legal basis to justify their authority and ensure they’re not contrary to existing law, longstanding practice, and precedents. This “legal basis” clause cites constitutional powers because without it, courts can strike them down as overreach.

The volume of EOs has been unprecedented; Trump has signed 217 EOs as of November 30, 2025. The success of the administration is based in good part on EOs.
All of this, and DOJ under Attorney General Pam Bondi is significantly understaffed. But has to battle rogue judges at every turn, lawfare, and a couple of new lawsuits to defend each day.

Bottom line: Bondi’s DOJ is undeniably busy defending the administration in court and running large drug/gang operations, as the legal-defense side racks up wins.
So cut her slack or run for president yourself and appoint your own. When Trump feels Bondi is not doing her job, he’ll get rid of her.

Romans 10:9 is likely the most concise statement of the gospel message in the Bible. To confess with your mouth means openly acknowledging Jesus as Lord, and to believe in the resurrection, the foundation of Christian faith, comes with the promise that you will be saved, i.e., eternal salvation to those who truly confess and believe by faith alone.

George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation was the first presidential declaration of a National Day of Thanksgiving, issued to unify the young United States and acknowledge divine providence. It came just months after the Constitution was ratified and the Bill of Rights proposed. Both houses of Congress asked Washington to recommend a day of gratitude, reflecting their desire to foster national unity and shared values.

Washington issued it on October 3, 1789, designating November 26, 1789, as a a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. What follows is an excerpt; the full proclamation is linked.

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor;…the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer…observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God,…”

Link to Proclamation:  Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 | George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Yesterday in History

November 23, 1889: S.F. Gin Joint Hears the World’s First Jukebox

The first jukebox is installed at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco. It became an overnight sensation, and its popularity spread around the world.

That first jukebox was constructed by the Pacific Phonograph Company. Four stethoscope-like tubes were attached to an Edison Class M electric phonograph fitted inside an oak cabinet. The tubes operated individually, each activated by the insertion of a coin, allowing four different listeners to plug into the same song simultaneously.

Towels were supplied to patrons so they could wipe off the end of the tube after each listening.

This is only important to me because my grandparents owned a bar and had a Seeburg M100 jukebox there. The bar was a neighborhood, somewhat redneck place. I spent a great deal of time there and saw some things in my preteen and teen years that most people never see in a lifetime. Ever see a guy get stabbed? Weird times, but somehow valuable later in life.

The jukebox held 50 records, playing 100 songs, mostly country, some polka, and a few rock. One song for a dime, three for a quarter. It played almost continually, but less than the pool table. I have a pool table story too.

When a guy named Al would come to change the records and take out the money, after a split of the skim, he would sell records to my mom for a quarter a piece. We had the largest collection of 45 rpm records in the area.

When you look at it, you recognize it as the one at Arnold’s Drive-In on Happy Days and the famous “Fonzie Bang,” his ability to start or stop the jukebox with a single punch.

When my grandparents finally retired it in the mid-60s, they gave it to my family. It was in our basement for years, with the lock on the coinbox removed, so it could be played anytime with the same quarter. The speaker was blown out, but a new one magically appeared from the local drive-in theatre. A gift from Bad Santa I reckon. It worked.

From there, it went to southern Ohio with me, but I used it to pay a great guy, whose wife worked for me, to clean out my basement. There was a lot to clean out, three or truckloads of junk, and it was quite a deal. Refurbished, and it is, it’s worth $8-10,000, and if not, it can still bring a couple grand. Not one of the best deals I ever made. But at least it was being used again.

Life is about memories of the past and the new ones we make.