The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Trump's (un)popularity Alabama 2024 election: +31% 2025 approval: +20% Difference: -11% Alaska 2024 election: +14% 2025 approval: +1% Difference: -13% Arizona 2024 election: +5% 2025 approval: -4% Difference: -9% Arkansas 2024 election: +30% 2025 approval: +22% Difference: -8% California 2024 election: -20% 2025 approval: -34% Difference: -14% Colorado 2024 election: -11% 2025 approval: -22% Difference: -11% Connecticut 2024 election: -14% 2025 approval: -24% Difference: -10% Delaware 2024 election: -14% 2025 approval: -21% Difference: -7% Florida 2024 election: +13% 2025 approval: +/-0% Difference: -13% Georgia 2024 election: +2% 2025 approval: -9% Difference: -11% Hawaii 2024 election: -24% 2025 approval: -44% Difference: -20% Idaho 2024 election: +37% 2025 approval: +31% Difference: -6% Illinois 2024 election: -11% 2025 approval: -22% Difference: -11% Indiana 2024 election: +19% 2025 approval: +13% Difference: -6% Iowa 2024 election: +13% 2025 approval: +/-0% Difference: -13% Ka...

It's been a week since Donald Trump was announced as the winner of the 2024 presidential election. I've since gone through four of the five stages of grief, and am currently between depression and acceptance. The thing about it is, while I've accepted the fact Trump will be this country's next president, I can't for the life of me accept the fact so many people - people I personally know and love - voted for him. That's what I'm having trouble accepting. In 2016, I was honestly shocked by Trump's election victory over Hillary Clinton. Sure, Clinton's approval rating was never exceptionally high, but Donald Trump was viewed by many as a joke of a candidate - a reality star just striving for attention. While I thought his presidency would be a disaster (I was right), I accepted people wanting a change from the status quo - a seemingly apolitical businessman to shake up the political in Washington.  Following a lie-, drama-, and crisis-filled 4 years in...

Here are my rankings from after the sixth Democratic debate (https://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2020/01/democratic-candidate-rankings-post.html). Here now are my rankings post-debate #7, with the change in their rankings noted in parentheses: 8) Tom Steyer (+2) 7) Michael Bloomberg (+4) 6) Tulsi Gabbard (+2) 5) Bernie Sanders (-2) 4) Joe Biden (+3) 3) Elizabeth Warren (-2) 2) Pete Buttigieg (-1) 1) Amy Klobuchar (+3) Who should stay in? 1) Amy Klobuchar 2) Pete Buttigieg 3) Elizabeth Warren 4) Joe Biden 5) Bernie Sanders 6) Michael Bloomberg Who should get out? 1) Tom Steyer 2) Tulsi Gabbard

Here are my rankings from after the third Democratic debate (https://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2019/09/democratic-candidate-rankings-post.html). Here now are my rankings post-debate #4, with the change in their rankings noted in parentheses: 18) John Delaney (+/-0) 17) Wayne Messam (+/-0) 16) Steve Bullock (+/-0) 15) Marianne Williamson (+/-0) 14) Michael Bennet (+/-0) 13) Tom Steyer (+/-0) 12) Tulsi Gabbard (+/-0) 11) Tim Ryan (+/-0) 10) Beto O'Rourke (+/-0) 9) Andrew Yang (-1) 8) Joe Biden (-2) 7) Bernie Sanders (-2) 6) Julian Castro (+3) 5) Amy Klobuchar (+2) 4) Cory Booker (+/-0) 3) Elizabeth Warren (-1) 2) Kamala Harris (-1) 1) Pete Buttigieg (+2) Who should stay in? 1) Pete Buttigieg 2) Kamala Harris 3) Elizabeth Warren 4) Cory Booker 5) Amy Klobuchar 6) Julian Castro 7) Bernie Sanders 8) Joe Biden 9 ) Andrew Yang 10) Beto O'Rourke Who should get out? 1) John Delaney 2) Wayne Messam 3) Steve ...

My brother and I have both been questioned on why we may refer to our parents by their first names at times. I've heard some refer to it as "weird," "strange," and read others call it "rude," "disrespectful," and "just plain wrong." I find this to be interesting. We tend to alter how we refer to someone in just about every situation as we age. Parents go from calling their kids "little peanut" to their actual name to their full name if they're in trouble. Employees may refer to their employer as Mr./Mrs. Sasquatch, before eventually garnering the respect necessary to get away with calling them by their first name. If two people get close, they may start referring to one another by cute or funny inside joke-esque nicknames. Yet for some people, mom and dad should always be referred to as just that, mom and dad. Why? Now, I'm not going to say I'm against calling your parents mom and dad, far from it. Logicall...